2000
#567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 53,475
First available Census row
Per 100,000 19.82
Uncommon Last name
Monroe
Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic elements "mun" meaning "hill" and "ruadh" meaning "red."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 61,330 Americans carry the last name Monroe. That puts it at #618 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 17.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,589 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Monroe 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 Monroe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
61K
1 in 5,589
Census rank
#618
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
17.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
53K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 53,483 bearers of the surname Monroe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 17.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 618th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Monroe, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.6%. The next largest groups are Black (28.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Monroe
The surname Monroe is believed to have originated in Scotland, with its roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "muinnor," which means "ancestor" or "from the protector." The name may also be connected to the ancient Scottish clan of Munro or Monro.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Monroe can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from the late 13th century. These rolls were administrative records maintained by the Scottish Exchequer, and they mention individuals with the name Monroe or variations of it, such as Monro or Munro.
The name Monroe has been associated with various historical figures throughout the centuries. One notable example is Robert Monroe, a Scottish soldier and diplomat who lived in the 16th century and served as a colonel in the Swedish army. He was born around 1558 and played a crucial role in the Thirty Years' War.
Another prominent figure with the surname Monroe was James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States. He was born on April 28, 1758, in Westmoreland County, Virginia, and served as president from 1817 to 1825. His administration is notable for the adoption of the Monroe Doctrine, which became a cornerstone of American foreign policy.
In the realm of literature, the name Monroe is associated with Marilyn Monroe, the iconic American actress, model, and singer. Born Norma Jeane Mortenson on June 1, 1926, in Los Angeles, California, she adopted the stage name Marilyn Monroe and became one of the most celebrated and enduring cultural icons of the 20th century.
The surname Monroe has also been linked to various place names, such as Monroe County in several states, including Florida, Georgia, and Pennsylvania. Some of these place names may have been derived from the surname itself or influenced by individuals with the name Monroe.
Other notable individuals with the surname Monroe include Harriet Monroe, an American editor and poet born in 1860, who founded the influential literary magazine "Poetry." There is also Bill Monroe, an American musician and singer-songwriter born in 1911, who is considered the father of bluegrass music.
While the surname Monroe has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world and continues to be carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Monroe
Among Census respondents with the surname Monroe, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.6%. The next largest groups are Black (28.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Monroe 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 Monroe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.6% · 32,404
- Black or African American28.0% · 14,962
- Two or more races5.0% · 2,652
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 2,388
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 727
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 350
Timeline
Historical Census data for Monroe
Monroe 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
#617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 55,136
+1,661 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 18.69
Rank movement Down 50 places
2020
#618
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 53,483
-1,653 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 17.89
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #567 | 53,475 | 19.82 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #617 | 55,136 | 18.69 | +1,661 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 50 places |
| 2020 | #618 | 53,483 | 17.89 | -1,653 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 1 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 Monroe 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 | #617 | #618 | -0.2% |
| Count | 55,136 | 53,483 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 18.69 | 17.89 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Monroe bearers went from 55,136 to 53,483 (-3.0% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #617 to #618.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Monroe
FAQ
Monroe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Monroe?
Name Census estimates that about 61,330 living Americans carry the surname Monroe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,589 residents.
How common is Monroe?
Monroe ranks #618 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 17.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 18 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 53,483 people with the surname Monroe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (61,330), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 17.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 17.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 18 of them to have the surname Monroe.
Has Monroe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Monroe went from 55,136 recorded bearers to 53,483. That is a decrease of 1,653 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #617 to #618.
What does the Census say about the background of Monroe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Monroe, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.6%. The next largest groups are Black (28.0%) and Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Monroe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.6% (32,404 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Monroe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.6%), Black (28.0%), Two or More Races (5.0%). 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 Monroe (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 Monroe mean?
Scottish and Irish surname derived from the Gaelic elements "mun" meaning "hill" and "ruadh" meaning "red." 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 Monroe (17.89 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 share the surname Monroe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.