2000
#8,994
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,342
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Glazier
An occupational surname referring to a craftsman who installs glass windows and glazing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,751 Americans carry the last name Glazier. That puts it at #9,508 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,377 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glazier 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 Glazier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 91,377
Census rank
#9,508
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,271 bearers of the surname Glazier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9508th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glazier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glazier
The surname Glazier is an occupational name that originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "glæs" meaning glass, and the suffix "-ier" which denotes a person's trade or occupation. The name refers to a person who made or worked with glass, particularly in the production or installation of windows.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval records and documents. For example, the name "Robertus le Glazier" appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex, England, dating back to 1296. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 also mention a "Henricus le Glasier."
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the name was often spelled with variations such as "Glasyer," "Glazyer," or "Glasier." These variations reflect the evolution of the English language and the spelling conventions of the time.
One notable historical figure with the surname Glazier was Sir William Glazier, a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Glaziers in London during the 16th century. He served as the Master of the Company in 1571.
Another individual of note was Thomas Glazier, an English clergyman and scholar who lived from around 1550 to 1619. He was the rector of Leaveland in Kent and is known for his work on the translation of the Bible into English.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various parish records and legal documents. For instance, a "John Glazier" is mentioned in the Parish Registers of St. Mary's Church in Beverley, Yorkshire, in 1635.
Later, in the 18th century, a famous bearer of the name was Sir Cloudesley Shovell Glazier (1732-1809), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
Another notable individual was Thomas Glazier (1771-1841), an English clergyman and author who wrote several works on religious subjects and served as the rector of Hatherleigh in Devon.
Over the centuries, the Glazier surname has been associated with various places, especially in England, where it originated. For instance, the village of Glaziers in Somerset and the hamlet of Glaziers in Suffolk both derive their names from the occupational surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glazier
Among Census respondents with the surname Glazier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Glazier 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 Glazier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 2,963
- Two or more races3.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 89
- Black or African American2.0% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glazier
Glazier 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
#9,045
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,612
+270 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 51 places
2020
#9,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,271
-341 bearers (-9.4%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 463 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,994 | 3,342 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,045 | 3,612 | 1.22 | +270 bearers (+8.1%) | Down 51 places |
| 2020 | #9,508 | 3,271 | 1.09 | -341 bearers (-9.4%) | Down 463 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 Glazier 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 | #9,045 | #9,508 | -5.1% |
| Count | 3,612 | 3,271 | -9.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.09 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glazier bearers went from 3,612 to 3,271 (-9.4% change). The surname moved down 463 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,045 to #9,508.
FAQ
Glazier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glazier?
Name Census estimates that about 3,751 living Americans carry the surname Glazier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,377 residents.
How common is Glazier?
Glazier ranks #9,508 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,271 people with the surname Glazier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,751), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Glazier.
Has Glazier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glazier went from 3,612 recorded bearers to 3,271. That is a decrease of 341 (-9.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,045 to #9,508.
What does the Census say about the background of Glazier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glazier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Glazier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (2,963 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glazier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Glazier (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 Glazier mean?
An occupational surname referring to a craftsman who installs glass windows and glazing. 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 Glazier (1.09 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 Glazier?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.