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

Idol, 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 Idol surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Idol in America

Idol is the 30477th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Idol surname appeared 766 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Idol.

We can also compare 2010 data for Idol 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 Idol

The surname IDOL is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "idel," which meant "idle" or "vain." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a nickname to someone who was perceived as lazy or vain.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the surname IDOL can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the year 1176, where a person named William Idell is listed. This early spelling variation reinforces the connection to the Old English word "idel."

During the 13th century, the surname IDOL started appearing in various records across different counties in England. For instance, the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273 include a reference to a John Idel, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296 mention a Robert Idel.

In the 14th century, the surname IDOL continued to be documented in various regions of England. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a Thomas Idull, and the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1381 include a John Idull.

One notable individual with the surname IDOL was Robert Idole, who was born in Oxfordshire around 1490. He was a clergyman and served as the Archdeacon of Middlesex from 1541 until his death in 1556.

Another historical figure with this surname was Edward Idoll, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1612. He was a renowned scholar and became the Regius Professor of Civil Law at the University of Oxford in 1642, a position he held until his death in 1676.

In the 18th century, the surname IDOL can be found in various parish records across England. For example, the parish registers of St. Mary's Church in Warwick include entries for the baptisms of William Idle in 1714 and Ann Idle in 1728.

One notable individual from this period was John Idol, who was born in Gloucestershire in 1730. He was a successful merchant and became the High Sheriff of Gloucestershire in 1767.

The surname IDOL has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Idle in Yorkshire and Idlicote in Warwickshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in different regions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Idol

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!