2000
#1,364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,823
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.83
Uncommon Last name
Givens
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval given name Giffen, meaning "gift" or "one who gives."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 27,923 Americans carry the last name Givens. That puts it at #1,424 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 8.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 12,275 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Givens surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Givens with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
28K
1 in 12,275
Census rank
#1,424
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
8.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
24K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 24,350 bearers of the surname Givens in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 8.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1424th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Givens, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Black (43.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Givens
The surname Givens has its origins in England and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English given, meaning "to give." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname, referring to someone who was a giver or bestower of gifts or benefactions.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical records from the 13th century onwards. For example, the Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a Robert le Givene from Oxfordshire. The Subsidy Rolls of 1327 also reference a John Gevene from Worcestershire. These early spellings highlight the variations that existed in the name's orthography before it standardized to its current form.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir John Giffard Givens, a knight who fought alongside King Edward III in the Battle of Crécy during the Hundred Years' War in 1346. His valor and service to the crown were recognized, and his family's coat of arms featured a lion rampant on a field of azure, symbolizing courage and strength.
Another notable figure was Thomas Givens, a merchant and alderman from the city of London, who lived in the late 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the city's mercantile community and played a vital role in establishing trade connections with the Hanseatic League cities of Northern Europe.
In the 16th century, the name Givens can be found in various historical documents, including the Muster Rolls of 1539, which list several men with this surname serving in the English armies. One such individual was Robert Givens, who fought in the Anglo-Scottish Wars under King Henry VIII.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Givens was Colonel William Givens, a Parliamentarian officer who fought for the Roundheads against the Royalist forces of King Charles I. He was commended for his bravery and leadership in several battles, including the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
In the literary world, the name Givens is associated with the English poet and playwright John Givens, who lived in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. He is best known for his satirical works that critiqued the social and political climate of his time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Givens
Among Census respondents with the surname Givens, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Black (43.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Givens bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Givens surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White47.2% · 11,500
- Black or African American43.1% · 10,493
- Two or more races5.2% · 1,261
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 771
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 205
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 120
Timeline
Historical Census data for Givens
Givens appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#1,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 25,067
+1,244 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 8.50
Rank movement Down 55 places
2020
#1,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 24,350
-717 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 8.15
Rank movement Down 5 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,364 | 23,823 | 8.83 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,419 | 25,067 | 8.50 | +1,244 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 55 places |
| 2020 | #1,424 | 24,350 | 8.15 | -717 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 5 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Givens surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,419 | #1,424 | -0.4% |
| Count | 25,067 | 24,350 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 8.50 | 8.15 | -4.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Givens bearers went from 25,067 to 24,350 (-2.9% change). The surname moved down 5 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,419 to #1,424.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Givens
FAQ
Givens surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Givens?
Name Census estimates that about 27,923 living Americans carry the surname Givens. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 12,275 residents.
How common is Givens?
Givens ranks #1,424 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 8.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 8 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 24,350 people with the surname Givens. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (27,923), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 8.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 8.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 8 of them to have the surname Givens.
Has Givens become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Givens went from 25,067 recorded bearers to 24,350. That is a decrease of 717 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,419 to #1,424.
What does the Census say about the background of Givens?
Among Census respondents with the surname Givens, the largest self-reported group is White at 47.2%. The next largest groups are Black (43.1%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Givens in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.2% (11,500 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Givens appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (47.2%), Black (43.1%), Two or More Races (5.2%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Givens (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Givens mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the medieval given name Giffen, meaning "gift" or "one who gives." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Givens (8.15 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the surname Givens?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.