2000
#2,342
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,168
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.25
Uncommon Last name
Ireland
A geographical surname referring to someone from, or with ancestors from, the island nation of Ireland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,514 Americans carry the last name Ireland. That puts it at #2,448 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 20,755 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ireland 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 Ireland with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
17K
1 in 20,755
Census rank
#2,448
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,401 bearers of the surname Ireland in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2448th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ireland, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ireland
The surname Ireland originated as an English locational name derived from the Normandy placename Hirelant or Irelande. It was initially given to those who hailed from the region of Ireland in Normandy, France. The name is ultimately rooted in the Old Norse words 'ir' meaning 'Irish' and 'land' meaning 'land,' suggesting a connection to Irish settlers or immigrants in the area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled 'de Hirland.' This reference indicates that the name was already in use in England shortly after the Norman Conquest. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Irelonde, Yrlond, and Irelande, reflecting the name's evolution.
In the 13th century, the surname Ireland began to appear in English records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it is listed as 'de Irland.' This suggests that individuals bearing this name had established themselves in England by this time.
One notable figure with the surname Ireland was John Ireland, a renowned English composer and organist born in 1879. He composed various works, including the popular piano piece "The Holy Boy," and served as the organist at St. Luke's Church in Chelsea, London.
Another prominent individual was Samuel Ireland, an English writer and engraver born in 1744. He is known for his controversial forgeries of Shakespearean manuscripts, which he claimed to have discovered but were later exposed as fraudulent works.
In the 17th century, William Ireland, born in 1636, was a notable English lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of King's Bench from 1689 to 1692.
Moving forward, Alexander Ireland, born in 1810, was a Scottish Presbyterian minister and author who wrote extensively on theological subjects, including his work "The Life of John Reid, late Minister of the Presbyterian Church at Colmonel."
Lastly, Robert Ireland, born in 1920, was a British actor known for his roles in various television series, including "The Saint," "The Avengers," and "Danger Man." He had a prolific career spanning several decades in the entertainment industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ireland
Among Census respondents with the surname Ireland, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ireland 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 Ireland surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 12,290
- Black or African American6.9% · 996
- Two or more races3.3% · 471
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 470
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 102
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 72
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ireland
Ireland 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
#2,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,800
+632 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 5.02
Rank movement Down 103 places
2020
#2,448
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,401
-399 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 4.82
Rank movement Down 3 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,342 | 14,168 | 5.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,445 | 14,800 | 5.02 | +632 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 103 places |
| 2020 | #2,448 | 14,401 | 4.82 | -399 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 3 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 Ireland 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 | #2,445 | #2,448 | -0.1% |
| Count | 14,800 | 14,401 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 5.02 | 4.82 | -4.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ireland bearers went from 14,800 to 14,401 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 3 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,445 to #2,448.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ireland
FAQ
Ireland surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ireland?
Name Census estimates that about 16,514 living Americans carry the surname Ireland. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 20,755 residents.
How common is Ireland?
Ireland ranks #2,448 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,401 people with the surname Ireland. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,514), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Ireland.
Has Ireland become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ireland went from 14,800 recorded bearers to 14,401. That is a decrease of 399 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,445 to #2,448.
What does the Census say about the background of Ireland?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ireland, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Ireland in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (12,290 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ireland appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (6.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Ireland (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 Ireland mean?
A geographical surname referring to someone from, or with ancestors from, the island nation of Ireland. 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 Ireland (4.82 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 people have the last name Ireland?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Ireland at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.