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

Humphries, 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 Humphries surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Humphries in America

Humphries is the 1981st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Humphries surname appeared 18,201 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Humphries.

We can also compare 2010 data for Humphries 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 Humphries

The surname HUMPHRIES is of English origin, derived from the medieval given name Humphrey. This name is thought to have originated from the Old German name Hunfrid, meaning "peaceful traveler" or "home ruler."

The earliest recorded use of the surname HUMPHRIES dates back to the 12th century, with references found in various historical documents and records from counties like Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset in England. It is believed that the name may have been initially adopted by individuals who were the sons or descendants of someone named Humphrey.

One of the earliest known bearers of the HUMPHRIES surname was Sir Humphrey de Bohun, a prominent English nobleman and military commander who lived in the late 12th and early 13th centuries. He played a significant role in the Barons' War against King John and was present at the sealing of the Magna Carta in 1215.

Another notable HUMPHRIES was John Humphries, a wealthy merchant and landowner from Bristol, England, who lived in the 15th century. He is recorded as having donated substantial sums of money towards the construction of several churches and public buildings in the city.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the HUMPHRIES surname was well-established in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. Several variations in spelling, such as Humfries, Humfryes, and Humphryes, were also found in historical records.

One of the earliest known literary references to the HUMPHRIES surname can be found in the works of William Shakespeare. In his play "Henry IV, Part 1," there is a character named Humphrey, who is referred to as "Humphries" in some editions of the text.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, several individuals with the HUMPHRIES surname achieved notable accomplishments. These include Samuel Humphries (1766-1838), an English engraver and painter, and Richard Humphries (1786-1860), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, the HUMPHRIES surname continued to be widely distributed across England, as well as in other parts of the world due to migration and diaspora. Notable bearers of the name during this period include Ozias Humphry (1742-1810), an English painter, and Alexander Humphries (1783-1859), a Scottish-born Canadian explorer and fur trader.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Humphries

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

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 Humphries 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 Humphries 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 Humphries was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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