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

Iron, 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 Iron surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Iron in America

Iron is the 72332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Iron surname appeared 269 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 Iron.

We can also compare 2010 data for Iron 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 Iron

The surname IRON has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "iren" or "isern," referring to the metal iron. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for blacksmiths or metalworkers who worked with iron.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname IRON can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, England, in 1275, where a John le Iren is mentioned. The prefix "le" was commonly used in those times to denote someone's occupation or place of origin.

In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various forms, including Yren, Iren, and Yron, reflecting the evolution of spelling conventions. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 mention a William le Iren from Buckinghamshire, while the Pipe Rolls of 1301 record a Robert le Yren from Oxfordshire.

During the late medieval period, the surname IRON was prevalent in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset. This might indicate that the name originated in these areas, where metalworking and ironworking were common trades.

One notable figure with the surname IRON was Sir Ralph Iron (c. 1540-1625), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1599. He was a prominent figure in the City of London and played a role in the establishment of the East India Company.

Another historical figure was Samuel Iron (1618-1691), an English Puritan minister who served as the vicar of Gretton, Northamptonshire. He was known for his religious writings and sermons.

In the 18th century, John Iron (1703-1776) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the War of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War. He achieved the rank of Vice Admiral and was involved in several notable naval engagements.

The surname IRON also has connections to place names in England, such as Iron Acton, a village in Gloucestershire, and Iron Bridge, a town in Shropshire named after the famous cast-iron bridge built in 1779.

Throughout the centuries, the IRON surname has been carried by various individuals, from merchants and politicians to religious figures and military personnel, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and occupations associated with this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Iron

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

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

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

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