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

Ivanhoe, 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 Ivanhoe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Ivanhoe in America

Ivanhoe is the 160975th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Ivanhoe surname appeared 100 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 Ivanhoe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Ivanhoe 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 Ivanhoe

The surname Ivanhoe is a fictional name that was created by Sir Walter Scott in his famous novel of the same name, published in 1819. The name does not have any linguistic or historical origin, as it was invented by the author to represent the protagonist, Wilfred of Ivanhoe.

The name Ivanhoe is believed to be derived from the Old English words "ive" or "iva," meaning "yew tree," and "hoh," meaning "heel" or "ridge." However, this is a fanciful etymology suggested by Scott to give the name a sense of antiquity and English roots.

Sir Walter Scott's novel "Ivanhoe" is set in 12th-century England during the reign of King Richard I. The story revolves around the titular character, Wilfred of Ivanhoe, a Saxon knight who returns from the Crusades to find his homeland torn by the conflict between the Saxons and the Normans.

While the name Ivanhoe does not appear in any historical records or manuscripts prior to Scott's novel, the author's creation of the name and its association with the fictional character have made it a recognizable and enduring surname.

Some notable individuals who have adopted or been given the surname Ivanhoe include:

1. Ivanhoe Haight (1834-1913), an American politician and lawyer from New York.
2. Ivanhoe Martin (1891-1976), an American character actor who appeared in numerous films and television shows.
3. Ivanhoe Donaldson (1958-1993), an American professional basketball player who played in the NBA.
4. Ivanhoe Wheelwright (1942-2017), an American artist and sculptor known for his large-scale outdoor installations.
5. Ivanhoe Campbell (1889-1954), a British writer and journalist who served as a war correspondent during World War I.

While the surname Ivanhoe has no genuine historical origins, its association with Sir Walter Scott's iconic novel has made it a memorable and enduring name in literature and popular culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Ivanhoe

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Ivanhoe, 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!