2000
#1,623
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,238
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.50
Uncommon Last name
North
A directional surname referring to someone who lived to the north of a settlement or landmark.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,976 Americans carry the last name North. That puts it at #1,837 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,597 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the North 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 North with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,597
Census rank
#1,837
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,164 bearers of the surname North in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1837th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname North, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of North
The surname North originates from England and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "norþ," meaning "the northern direction." The name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived in the northern part of a town or village, or who had migrated from the north.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname North can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholders in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Norþ" and "Nort."
During the 13th century, the surname North became more widespread throughout England, particularly in the northern regions. Some notable individuals with this surname from that period include Roger North (c. 1235-1310), a English landowner and knight, and John North (c. 1280-1349), a member of the English Parliament.
In the 16th century, the surname North was associated with several prominent figures, such as Sir Edward North (1496-1564), a English courtier and diplomat during the reign of Henry VIII, and Roger North (1531-1600), a English translator and author.
As the surname spread across England, it also became associated with various place names. For example, the village of North Petherton in Somerset was once known as "Norþ Peretone" in the Domesday Book, and the town of North Shields in Tyne and Wear was originally called "Norþscieles."
One of the most famous individuals with the surname North was Frederick North, Lord North (1732-1792), who served as Prime Minister of Great Britain from 1770 to 1782. Other notable figures include Roger North (1653-1734), an English biographer and writer, and Dudley North (1637-1691), an English economist and merchant.
Over the centuries, the surname North has been found throughout England, particularly in the northern counties, but also in other regions due to migration and population movements. While the name has evolved in spelling, it has maintained its connection to the northern direction and geographic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for North
Among Census respondents with the surname North, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how North 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 North surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.0% · 15,705
- Black or African American9.0% · 1,728
- Two or more races4.3% · 832
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 665
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 130
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for North
North 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
#1,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,343
+105 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 6.90
Rank movement Down 143 places
2020
#1,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,164
-1,179 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 6.41
Rank movement Down 71 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,623 | 20,238 | 7.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,766 | 20,343 | 6.90 | +105 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 143 places |
| 2020 | #1,837 | 19,164 | 6.41 | -1,179 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 71 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 North 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 | #1,766 | #1,837 | -4.0% |
| Count | 20,343 | 19,164 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.90 | 6.41 | -7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of North bearers went from 20,343 to 19,164 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 71 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,766 to #1,837.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname North
FAQ
North surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname North?
Name Census estimates that about 21,976 living Americans carry the surname North. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,597 residents.
How common is North?
North ranks #1,837 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,164 people with the surname North. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,976), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname North.
Has North become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname North went from 20,343 recorded bearers to 19,164. That is a decrease of 1,179 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,766 to #1,837.
What does the Census say about the background of North?
Among Census respondents with the surname North, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.0%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 North in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.0% (15,705 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
North appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.0%), Black (9.0%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 North (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 North mean?
A directional surname referring to someone who lived to the north of a settlement or landmark. 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 North (6.41 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 North?
Want to know how many people are called North? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.