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

Montgomery, 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 Montgomery surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Montgomery in America

Montgomery is the 263rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Montgomery surname appeared 115,953 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 39 people would have the surname Montgomery.

We can also compare 2010 data for Montgomery 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 Montgomery

The surname Montgomery originates from the Old English words "munt" meaning hill or mountain, and "gumerigan" meaning of the men. It is believed to have first emerged in the 10th century in the Anglo-Saxon region of what is now Shropshire, England.

The earliest known record of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Montgomerie" and associated with lands held by a Norman nobleman named Roger de Montgomerie. This suggests the name may have also been adopted or influenced by Norman French speakers after the conquest of England in 1066.

The Montgomery family held extensive lands and titles in Shropshire and the Welsh Marches during the medieval period. One notable member was Roger de Montgomery, who was one of William the Conqueror's chief counselors and was granted the Earldom of Arundel and Shrewsbury as rewards for his service.

In Scotland, the name emerged in the 12th century when Walter de Montgomerie was granted lands in Renfrewshire by King David I. The Montgomeries went on to become an influential noble family, with members holding the titles of Earl of Eglinton and Winton. Sir John Montgomery (1470-1513) was a prominent knight during the reigns of James IV and James V.

The Montgomery name also has a strong historical presence in Ireland, where it was first introduced by English and Scottish settlers during the Plantation of Ulster in the 17th century. One notable figure was William Montgomery (1633-1707), a Scottish soldier who served as a commander in the Irish Confederate Wars.

In the United States, some early bearers of the name include John Montgomery (1722-1808), a Pennsylvania legislator and judge, and Richard Montgomery (1738-1775), an Irish-born soldier who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and was killed in the Battle of Quebec.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Montgomery

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

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

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

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