2000
#770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,724
First available Census row
Per 100,000 15.10
Uncommon Last name
Glass
An occupational surname referring to a glazier or glassmaker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 46,022 Americans carry the last name Glass. That puts it at #843 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,448 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glass 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 Glass with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
46K
1 in 7,448
Census rank
#843
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
40K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 40,133 bearers of the surname Glass in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 843rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glass, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glass
The surname Glass has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word 'glaes', meaning 'glass'. This suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname, given to those who worked as glassmakers or sellers of glass products.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Glass can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire, dated 1195, which mention a William le Glaswrith. The 'le' prefix was commonly used in medieval times to denote an occupation or place of origin.
In the 13th century, the name Glass appeared in various forms, such as Glas, Glase, and Glasse, reflecting the variations in spelling during that era. These variations were likely influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of scribes.
The Hundred Rolls of 1273 recorded the name Glasse in Oxfordshire, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1296 listed a John Glas. These early records provide insight into the geographical distribution of the name across different parts of England.
One notable figure in English history bearing the surname Glass was John Glass, a renowned clergyman and scholar who lived from 1509 to 1572. He served as a chaplain to King Edward VI and was appointed as the first Regius Professor of Divinity at the University of Cambridge in 1554.
Another prominent individual was Thomas Glass, a merchant and explorer from London, who was born in the late 16th century. He is known for his travels to India and the East Indies, where he established trading relationships and contributed to the expansion of British trade in the region.
In the 17th century, the Glass surname gained further recognition with the birth of John Glass (1616-1673), a Scottish writer and preacher who was known for his nonconformist religious views and writings. His works, such as "The Life of Mr. Robert Bruce" and "The Doctrine of the Inward Reign of Christ," influenced the religious landscape of his time.
The 18th century saw the emergence of Francis Glass (1710-1786), a renowned English poet and satirist. He was known for his witty and satirical works, including "An Epistle to the Revd. Mr. Thomas Duncombe" and "The Beginning, Progress, and End of the Late Malbrouck Campaign."
In the field of science, Samuel Glassius (1653-1711), a German Lutheran theologian and scholar, made significant contributions to biblical studies and philology. His works, such as "Philologia Sacra" and "Grammatica Sacra," were widely respected and influential in their time.
These examples illustrate the diverse backgrounds and achievements of individuals bearing the surname Glass, spanning various fields and time periods. While the name's origins can be traced back to occupational roots in medieval England, it has since been carried by notable figures across different disciplines and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glass
Among Census respondents with the surname Glass, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Glass 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 Glass surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.1% · 29,734
- Black or African American17.0% · 6,809
- Two or more races4.1% · 1,639
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 1,328
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 363
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 260
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glass
Glass 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
#823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,802
+1,078 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 14.17
Rank movement Down 53 places
2020
#843
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 40,133
-1,669 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 13.43
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #770 | 40,724 | 15.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #823 | 41,802 | 14.17 | +1,078 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 53 places |
| 2020 | #843 | 40,133 | 13.43 | -1,669 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 20 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 Glass 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 | #823 | #843 | -2.4% |
| Count | 41,802 | 40,133 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 14.17 | 13.43 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glass bearers went from 41,802 to 40,133 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #823 to #843.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Glass
FAQ
Glass surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glass?
Name Census estimates that about 46,022 living Americans carry the surname Glass. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,448 residents.
How common is Glass?
Glass ranks #843 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 40,133 people with the surname Glass. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (46,022), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Glass.
Has Glass become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glass went from 41,802 recorded bearers to 40,133. That is a decrease of 1,669 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #823 to #843.
What does the Census say about the background of Glass?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glass, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.1%. The next largest groups are Black (17.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Glass in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.1% (29,734 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glass appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.1%), Black (17.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Glass (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 Glass mean?
An occupational surname referring to a glazier or glassmaker. 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 Glass (13.43 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 Americans have the surname Glass?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.