2000
#46,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 432
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Idle
A descriptive surname referring to someone who was lazy or unoccupied.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 533 Americans carry the last name Idle. That puts it at #48,977 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 643,066 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Idle 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 Idle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
533
1 in 643,066
Census rank
#48,977
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
465
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 465 bearers of the surname Idle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48977th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Idle, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Idle
The surname IDLE originated in England in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "idel", meaning idle or unemployed. The name may have been given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as lazy or idle.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the IDLE surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1208, which mention a certain William Idel. The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, referring to a John le Idel.
In the 14th century, the IDLE surname is recorded in various forms, such as Idyll, Idelle, and Idylle, reflecting the variations in spelling during that period. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a Thomas Idyll, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 mention a John Idelle.
The IDLE surname is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a great survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the spelling in the Domesday Book is slightly different, appearing as "Idel".
One notable historical figure with the IDLE surname was Sir Thomas Idle (1500-1572), an English judge and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent individual was John Idle (1615-1683), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works.
Other individuals of note include William Idle (1677-1744), an English architect and surveyor who designed several churches and buildings in London, and Thomas Idle (1873-1947), a British trade unionist and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the Labour Party.
Furthermore, the IDLE surname has been linked to various place names in England, such as Idle in West Yorkshire, which was recorded as "Idel" in the Domesday Book. There are also several villages and hamlets named Idle or Idlicote, which may have contributed to the spread of the surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Idle
Among Census respondents with the surname Idle, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Idle 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 Idle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.9% · 376
- Black or African American13.1% · 61
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 14
- Two or more races3.0% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Idle
Idle 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
#47,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 452
+20 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Down 580 places
2020
#48,977
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 465
+13 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 1,971 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,426 | 432 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #47,006 | 452 | 0.15 | +20 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 580 places |
| 2020 | #48,977 | 465 | 0.16 | +13 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 1,971 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 Idle 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 | #47,006 | #48,977 | -4.2% |
| Count | 452 | 465 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.15 | 0.16 | 3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Idle bearers went from 452 to 465 (+2.9% change). The surname moved down 1,971 positions in the national ranking, going from #47,006 to #48,977.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Idle
FAQ
Idle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Idle?
Name Census estimates that about 533 living Americans carry the surname Idle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 643,066 residents.
How common is Idle?
Idle ranks #48,977 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 465 people with the surname Idle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (533), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Idle.
Has Idle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Idle went from 452 recorded bearers to 465. That is an increase of 13 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #47,006 to #48,977.
What does the Census say about the background of Idle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Idle, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.9%. The next largest groups are Black (13.1%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Idle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.9% (376 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Idle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.9%), Black (13.1%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Idle (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 Idle mean?
A descriptive surname referring to someone who was lazy or unoccupied. 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 Idle (0.16 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 Idle?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.