Find out how popular the last name Humphrey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Humphrey.

Humphrey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Humphrey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Humphrey in America

Humphrey is the 705th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Humphrey surname appeared 49,056 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 17 people would have the surname Humphrey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Humphrey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Humphrey

The surname HUMPHREY has its origins in medieval England, derived from the Germanic personal name Hunfrid, meaning "peace" and "peace voyage." It emerged as a distinct surname during the Norman Conquest of England in the 11th century.

The earliest known record of the HUMPHREY surname dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which documented landowners in England after the Norman Conquest. It appears as "Humfridus" and "Hunfridus" in various entries, indicating the name's widespread use at the time.

In the 12th century, the name HUMPHREY gained prominence when Humphrey de Bohun (c. 1145-1181) served as a prominent nobleman and military leader during the reign of King Henry II. He was granted extensive lands and held the position of Lord High Constable of England.

Another notable figure was Humphrey de Bassingbourne (c. 1268-1344), an English landowner and military commander who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence under King Edward I. He was granted estates in Cambridgeshire and held important administrative roles.

During the 14th century, Humphrey de Bohun (c. 1342-1373), the 7th Earl of Hereford, Essex, and Northampton, played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War against France. He was a renowned military leader and fought alongside the Black Prince at the Battle of Crécy in 1346.

The surname HUMPHREY also gained literary significance with the works of Humphrey Llwyd (c. 1527-1568), a Welsh poet, cartographer, and antiquarian. He wrote extensively about Welsh history, traditions, and folklore, contributing to the preservation of Welsh culture.

In the 17th century, Sir Humphrey Gilbert (c. 1539-1583) was an English explorer and navigator who led several expeditions to establish English colonies in North America. He was granted a royal patent by Queen Elizabeth I and is remembered for his failed attempt to establish a settlement in Newfoundland.

The HUMPHREY surname has been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Humphrey Head in Cumbria and Humphrey Farm in Oxfordshire, reflecting the family's historical presence and influence in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Humphrey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Humphrey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Humphrey was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Humphrey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Humphrey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Humphrey, please contact us.

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