2000
#13,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,070
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Ivery
Derived from the Norman French surname "Ivery" or "Ivory," referring to a person who sold or worked with ivory.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,660 Americans carry the last name Ivery. That puts it at #12,705 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,855 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ivery 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 Ivery with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,855
Census rank
#12,705
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,320 bearers of the surname Ivery in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12705th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ivery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ivery
The surname Ivery is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "yfre," which means "ivy." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who lived near an area abundant with ivy vines.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, where a Richard Yvery is mentioned. This spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
In the 15th century, the surname appeared in various records, including the Inquisitiones Post Mortem of Yorkshire in 1436, which mentions a John Ivery. This document provides insights into the geographical distribution of the name during that era.
The Ivery surname also has ties to certain place names, such as Ivery in Buckinghamshire, which may have influenced the name's origins. Additionally, the name has been associated with the town of Ivry-la-Bataille in Normandy, France, suggesting potential Norman influences.
Notable individuals bearing the Ivery surname throughout history include Sir Thomas Ivery (1600-1672), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire in the 17th century. John Ivery (1625-1701) was an English clergyman and author of theological works.
In the 19th century, William Ivery (1809-1888) was a renowned English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Nottingham.
Another significant figure was Samuel Ivery (1822-1891), an English businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Bristol.
Lastly, Sir George Ivery (1876-1952) was a distinguished British naval officer who served during World War I and received various honors for his military service.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ivery
Among Census respondents with the surname Ivery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ivery 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 Ivery surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American83.7% · 1,941
- White7.1% · 164
- Two or more races5.3% · 123
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ivery
Ivery 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
#12,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,457
+387 bearers (+18.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 883 places
2020
#12,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,320
-137 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 108 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,480 | 2,070 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,597 | 2,457 | 0.83 | +387 bearers (+18.7%) | Up 883 places |
| 2020 | #12,705 | 2,320 | 0.78 | -137 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 108 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 Ivery 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 | #12,597 | #12,705 | -0.9% |
| Count | 2,457 | 2,320 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.78 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ivery bearers went from 2,457 to 2,320 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 108 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,597 to #12,705.
FAQ
Ivery surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ivery?
Name Census estimates that about 2,660 living Americans carry the surname Ivery. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,855 residents.
How common is Ivery?
Ivery ranks #12,705 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,320 people with the surname Ivery. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,660), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ivery.
Has Ivery become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ivery went from 2,457 recorded bearers to 2,320. That is a decrease of 137 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,597 to #12,705.
What does the Census say about the background of Ivery?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ivery, the largest self-reported group is Black at 83.7%. The next largest groups are White (7.1%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ivery in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.7% (1,941 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ivery appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (83.7%), White (7.1%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Ivery (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 Ivery mean?
Derived from the Norman French surname "Ivery" or "Ivory," referring to a person who sold or worked with ivory. 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 Ivery (0.78 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 Ivery?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Ivery is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.