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

Metcalfe, 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 Metcalfe surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Metcalfe in America

Metcalfe is the 7086th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Metcalfe surname appeared 4,725 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Metcalfe.

We can also compare 2010 data for Metcalfe 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 Metcalfe

The surname Metcalfe originates from the northern counties of England, particularly Yorkshire, and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "mete" meaning food or provisions, and "calf" referring to a small island or dry area of land surrounded by marsh or streams. This suggests that the name may have been an occupational name for someone who kept food stores or cattle on such a dry patch of land.

The earliest known record of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Metcalfe". Other early spellings include Metcalf, Medcalfe, and Metcalf. The name is believed to have originated in the area around the village of Nidderdale in North Yorkshire, which was once part of a larger region known as Metcalfe.

In the 13th century, a Richard Metcalfe is mentioned in the Records of the Borough of Nottingham, indicating the name's presence in that area. Another early bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Metcalfe (c.1390-1472), a member of the English gentry from Yorkshire who served as a Member of Parliament.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Metcalfe family became established in various parts of England, including Lancashire, Westmorland, and Northumberland. Notable individuals from this period include Sir John Metcalfe (c.1525-1615), a prominent merchant and Member of Parliament, and Roger Metcalfe (1592-1672), an English clergyman and author.

In the 18th century, Charles Metcalfe (1785-1846) was a British colonial administrator who served as the Governor-General of India from 1835 to 1836. Another notable figure was John Metcalfe (1717-1810), a British soldier and colonial governor of Fort St. George in Madras, India.

The 19th century saw the birth of several distinguished individuals with the surname Metcalfe, including Charles Theophilus Metcalfe (1785-1856), a British colonial administrator and Governor of Jamaica, and Sir Courtney Metcalfe (1843-1933), a British army officer and recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest military decoration awarded for valor in the British armed forces.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Metcalfe

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

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

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

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