2000
#326
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 85,212
First available Census row
Per 100,000 31.59
Uncommon Last name
Norris
From the English place name meaning "north house," referring to a dwelling located to the north of a settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 97,421 Americans carry the last name Norris. That puts it at #364 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 28.42 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,518 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Norris 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 Norris with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
97K
1 in 3,518
Census rank
#364
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
28.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
85K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 84,956 bearers of the surname Norris in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 28.42 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 364th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Norris, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Norris
The surname NORRIS is of Anglo-Norman origin and is derived from the Old French word "norris", meaning "nursling" or "foster child". It is believed to have originated in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French-speaking settlers arrived and established themselves in various parts of the country.
The earliest recorded instances of the NORRIS surname can be traced back to the 12th century in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of 1176 and the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201. These records mention individuals with the name, indicating its use as a hereditary surname during that time period.
In the 13th century, the name NORRIS appeared in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, a census-like record of landowners and tenants in England. This document contains references to individuals with the surname, providing insight into the geographic distribution of the name during that era.
One notable historical figure bearing the NORRIS surname was Sir John Norris (c. 1547-1597), an English soldier and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I. He played a significant role in the Tudor military campaigns in Ireland and the Netherlands.
Another prominent individual was Sir John Norris (1660-1749), an English admiral who served in the Royal Navy during the War of the Spanish Succession and the War of the Quadruple Alliance. He was known for his successful naval campaigns and was recognized for his bravery and leadership.
In the literary world, Frank Norris (1870-1902) was an American novelist and writer, best known for his works such as "McTeague" and "The Octopus". He was a prominent figure in the naturalist literary movement and explored themes of social realism in his writings.
The NORRIS surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Norris Green in Liverpool and Norris Hill in Cheshire. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the NORRIS surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
While the NORRIS surname originated in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including the United States, Canada, and Australia, due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Norris
Among Census respondents with the surname Norris, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Norris 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 Norris surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White77.2% · 65,594
- Black or African American13.9% · 11,779
- Two or more races4.2% · 3,592
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 2,774
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 701
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 516
Timeline
Historical Census data for Norris
Norris 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
#346
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 89,796
+4,584 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 30.44
Rank movement Down 20 places
2020
#364
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 84,956
-4,840 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 28.42
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #326 | 85,212 | 31.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #346 | 89,796 | 30.44 | +4,584 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 20 places |
| 2020 | #364 | 84,956 | 28.42 | -4,840 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 18 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 Norris 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 | #346 | #364 | -5.2% |
| Count | 89,796 | 84,956 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 30.44 | 28.42 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Norris bearers went from 89,796 to 84,956 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #346 to #364.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Norris
FAQ
Norris surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Norris?
Name Census estimates that about 97,421 living Americans carry the surname Norris. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,518 residents.
How common is Norris?
Norris ranks #364 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 28.42 per 100,000 residents, which is about 28 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 84,956 people with the surname Norris. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (97,421), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 28.42 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 28.42 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 28 of them to have the surname Norris.
Has Norris become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Norris went from 89,796 recorded bearers to 84,956. That is a decrease of 4,840 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #346 to #364.
What does the Census say about the background of Norris?
Among Census respondents with the surname Norris, the largest self-reported group is White at 77.2%. The next largest groups are Black (13.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Norris in the 2020 Census, accounting for 77.2% (65,594 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Norris appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (77.2%), Black (13.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Norris (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 Norris mean?
From the English place name meaning "north house," referring to a dwelling located to the north of a settlement. 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 Norris (28.42 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 Norris?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Norris, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.