2000
#22,116
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,091
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.40
Rare Last name
Irion
A surname derived from the Greek word 'eirion', meaning 'wool' or 'woolen cloth'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,079 Americans carry the last name Irion. That puts it at #27,169 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 317,659 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Irion 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.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 317,659
Census rank
#27,169
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
941
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 941 bearers of the surname Irion in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27169th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Irion, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Irion
The surname Irion has its origins in the German-speaking regions of Europe. It is believed to have derived from the medieval German word "Eyr", which means "egg" or "ovum". The name likely referred to someone who was involved in the trade or production of eggs, perhaps a farmer or merchant.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Irion can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the region of Anhalt in modern-day Germany, dating back to the 13th century. The name appeared as "Eyrion" in these records, indicating its evolution from the original word "Eyr".
Another notable reference to the name Irion can be found in the Allgemeines Historisches Lexikon, a historical encyclopedia published in the late 18th century. It mentions a German scholar and theologian named Johann Irion, who lived in the 16th century (1515-1588) and was known for his work on biblical exegesis.
In the 19th century, the name Irion gained prominence in France, particularly in the region of Alsace, which had a strong German cultural influence. One notable figure from this time was Charles Irion (1836-1905), a French civil engineer and politician who served as the mayor of Strasbourg from 1892 to 1905.
Another prominent individual with the surname Irion was the German painter and printmaker Ernst Irion (1888-1968), who was known for his landscapes and cityscapes depicting the region of Baden-Württemberg.
The name Irion has also been documented in other parts of Europe, such as Switzerland, where it is believed to have derived from the place name "Erion" or "Irion" in the canton of Valais.
It is worth noting that the name Irion has undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Eirion, Eyrion, and Yrion, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Irion
Among Census respondents with the surname Irion, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Irion 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 Irion surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 856
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 37
- Two or more races3.0% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 6
- Black or African American0.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Irion
Irion 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
#22,770
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,125
+34 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 654 places
2020
#27,169
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 941
-184 bearers (-16.4%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Down 4,399 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #22,116 | 1,091 | 0.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,770 | 1,125 | 0.38 | +34 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 654 places |
| 2020 | #27,169 | 941 | 0.31 | -184 bearers (-16.4%) | Down 4,399 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 Irion 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 | #22,770 | #27,169 | -19.3% |
| Count | 1,125 | 941 | -16.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.31 | -17.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Irion bearers went from 1,125 to 941 (-16.4% change). The surname moved down 4,399 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,770 to #27,169.
FAQ
Irion surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Irion?
Name Census estimates that about 1,079 living Americans carry the surname Irion. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 317,659 residents.
How common is Irion?
Irion ranks #27,169 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 941 people with the surname Irion. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,079), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Irion.
Has Irion become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Irion went from 1,125 recorded bearers to 941. That is a decrease of 184 (-16.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,770 to #27,169.
What does the Census say about the background of Irion?
Among Census respondents with the surname Irion, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Irion in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (856 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Irion appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (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 Irion (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 Irion mean?
A surname derived from the Greek word 'eirion', meaning 'wool' or 'woolen cloth'. 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 Irion (0.31 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 common is the surname Irion?
You can see how many people have the surname Irion on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.