2000
#12,605
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.84
Rare Last name
Norsworthy
Derived from a place name meaning "northern enclosure" or "enclosure of the Northmen" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,471 Americans carry the last name Norsworthy. That puts it at #13,493 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.72 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 138,711 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Norsworthy 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 Norsworthy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 138,711
Census rank
#13,493
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,155 bearers of the surname Norsworthy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.72 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13493rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Norsworthy, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Norsworthy
The surname Norsworthy is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "norð" meaning "north" and "worðig" meaning "worthy" or "estate". It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of England, particularly in areas such as Yorkshire and Lancashire, where it was used to denote someone who lived in or owned lands in the northern part of a village or estate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Norsworthy can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Norðworðig" in reference to a landowner in the county of Yorkshire. This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.
During the Middle Ages, the spelling of the name varied considerably, with forms such as Northeworth, Northworthy, and Norswordi being common. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred over time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Norsworthy was John Norsworthy (c. 1520-1580), a wealthy merchant and landowner from the town of Halifax in West Yorkshire. His descendants continued to hold significant influence in the region for several generations.
Another noteworthy individual was Sir Edward Norsworthy (1605-1666), a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Charles I. He was a staunch Royalist during the English Civil War and played a role in the defense of York against the Parliamentarian forces.
In the 18th century, the name Norsworthy was associated with the village of Norsworthy, located in the parish of Widecombe-in-the-Moor in Devon. This place name likely derives from the same Old English roots as the surname, indicating that the family may have had connections to this area as well.
Among the more prominent figures with the surname Norsworthy in the 19th century was Sir William Norsworthy (1827-1904), a British naval officer who achieved the rank of Admiral and served as Commander-in-Chief of the North America and West Indies Station.
In the field of literature, the name Norsworthy was borne by the English writer and journalist Edward Norsworthy (1851-1923), who was known for his novels and travel writings, including his work "The Cruise of the Tomahawk" published in 1888.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Norsworthy
Among Census respondents with the surname Norsworthy, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Norsworthy 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 Norsworthy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 1,767
- Black or African American9.5% · 204
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 91
- Two or more races3.6% · 77
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Norsworthy
Norsworthy 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
#13,291
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,295
+42 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 686 places
2020
#13,493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,155
-140 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 202 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,605 | 2,253 | 0.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,291 | 2,295 | 0.78 | +42 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 686 places |
| 2020 | #13,493 | 2,155 | 0.72 | -140 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 202 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 Norsworthy 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 | #13,291 | #13,493 | -1.5% |
| Count | 2,295 | 2,155 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.72 | -7.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Norsworthy bearers went from 2,295 to 2,155 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 202 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,291 to #13,493.
FAQ
Norsworthy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Norsworthy?
Name Census estimates that about 2,471 living Americans carry the surname Norsworthy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 138,711 residents.
How common is Norsworthy?
Norsworthy ranks #13,493 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.72 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 2,155 people with the surname Norsworthy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,471), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.72 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.72 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 Norsworthy.
Has Norsworthy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Norsworthy went from 2,295 recorded bearers to 2,155. That is a decrease of 140 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,291 to #13,493.
What does the Census say about the background of Norsworthy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Norsworthy, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.5%) and Hispanic (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 Norsworthy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (1,767 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Norsworthy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Black (9.5%), Hispanic (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 Norsworthy (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 Norsworthy mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "northern enclosure" or "enclosure of the Northmen" in Old English. 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 Norsworthy (0.72 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 have the last name Norsworthy?
Want to know how common the surname Norsworthy is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.