2000
#12,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,215
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.82
Rare Last name
Mary
An English surname derived from the female given name Mary, meaning "bitter" or "beloved".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,834 Americans carry the last name Mary. That puts it at #12,052 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.83 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 120,944 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mary 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 Mary with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 120,944
Census rank
#12,052
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,471 bearers of the surname Mary in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.83 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12052nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mary, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mary
The surname Mary is an anglicized form of the French surname Marie, which has its origins in the Hebrew name Miriam or Miryam. This name was derived from the ancient Egyptian word "mer," meaning "beloved." The surname Mary is believed to have first appeared in England during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Mary can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Marye." This entry suggests that the name was already in use in England by the late 11th century. During this time, the name was often associated with individuals who lived near churches or monasteries dedicated to the Virgin Mary.
By the 13th century, the surname Mary had spread to various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Oxfordshire. In Yorkshire, the name was often spelled as "Marye" or "Maryee," while in Lincolnshire, it was sometimes written as "Marri" or "Marye." These spelling variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic influences of the time.
One notable individual with the surname Mary was John Mary (c. 1285-1348), an English scholar and clergyman who served as the Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. Another prominent figure was Sir William Mary (c. 1450-1518), a member of the English gentry and a supporter of the House of Tudor during the Wars of the Roses.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Mary was associated with several prominent families in England, including the Marys of Cheshire and the Marys of Gloucestershire. These families often held influential positions in local government and contributed to the cultural and economic life of their respective regions.
Among the notable individuals with the surname Mary in later centuries were:
1. Mary Wollstonecraft (1759-1797), a British writer, philosopher, and advocate of women's rights who authored "A Vindication of the Rights of Woman."
2. Mary Somerville (1780-1872), a Scottish scientist and writer who made significant contributions to the study of mathematics and astronomy.
3. Mary Seacole (1805-1881), a British-Jamaican nurse and entrepreneur who provided care to soldiers during the Crimean War.
4. Mary Cassatt (1844-1926), an American painter and printmaker who was a prominent figure in the Impressionist movement.
5. Mary McLeod Bethune (1875-1955), an American educator and civil rights activist who founded the Bethune-Cookman University in Florida.
While the surname Mary has its roots in ancient languages and cultures, it has become a part of the rich tapestry of English surnames, reflecting the diverse histories and contributions of individuals who have borne this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mary
Among Census respondents with the surname Mary, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Mary 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 Mary surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.1% · 1,707
- Black or African American16.4% · 406
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.2% · 153
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 148
- Two or more races2.1% · 52
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mary
Mary 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
#18,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,547
-668 bearers (-30.2%)
Per 100,000 0.52
Rank movement Down 5,256 places
2020
#12,052
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,471
+924 bearers (+59.7%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Up 5,984 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,780 | 2,215 | 0.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,036 | 1,547 | 0.52 | -668 bearers (-30.2%) | Down 5,256 places |
| 2020 | #12,052 | 2,471 | 0.83 | +924 bearers (+59.7%) | Up 5,984 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 Mary 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 | #18,036 | #12,052 | 33.2% |
| Count | 1,547 | 2,471 | 59.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.52 | 0.83 | 59.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mary bearers went from 1,547 to 2,471 (+59.7% change). The surname moved up 5,984 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,036 to #12,052.
FAQ
Mary surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mary?
Name Census estimates that about 2,834 living Americans carry the surname Mary. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 120,944 residents.
How common is Mary?
Mary ranks #12,052 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.83 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 2,471 people with the surname Mary. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,834), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.83 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.83 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 Mary.
Has Mary become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mary went from 1,547 recorded bearers to 2,471. That is an increase of 924 (+59.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,036 to #12,052.
What does the Census say about the background of Mary?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mary, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%). 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 Mary in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.1% (1,707 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mary appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.1%), Black (16.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.2%). 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 Mary (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 Mary mean?
An English surname derived from the female given name Mary, meaning "bitter" or "beloved". 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 Mary (0.83 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 Mary?
Want to know how many people are called Mary? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.