2000
#8,193
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,727
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.38
Rare Last name
Northrop
A locational surname referring to someone who lived north of a village or near a throp (hamlet or farm).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,454 Americans carry the last name Northrop. That puts it at #8,158 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 76,954 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Northrop 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 Northrop with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.5K
1 in 76,954
Census rank
#8,158
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,884 bearers of the surname Northrop in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8158th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Northrop, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Northrop
The surname Northrop is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is considered a locational surname, derived from a place name. One theory suggests that it is derived from the Old English words "nor" (meaning "north") and "throp" (meaning "village" or "hamlet"), indicating that the name may have originated from a northern village or settlement.
Another possible origin is that the name is derived from the place name "Northrop" or "Northrope," which was a location in Norfolk, England. These place names are recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Northrop can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire from the year 1195, where a person named Roger de Northrop is mentioned. This suggests that the name was in use by the late 12th century.
Historically, the name has been spelled in various ways, including Northrop, Northropp, Northrupp, and Northruppe. Some variations in spelling were likely due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during earlier times.
Notable individuals with the surname Northrop throughout history include:
1. Sir John Northrop (1590-1676), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Munster in the Protectorate Parliament of 1654.
2. Anson Northrop (1797-1858), an American lawyer and politician who served as a United States Representative from South Carolina.
3. John Northrop (1809-1890), an American inventor and manufacturer who founded the Northrop Loom Company, which produced innovative textile machinery.
4. John Knudsen Northrop (1895-1981), an American aerospace engineer and entrepreneur who founded the Northrop Corporation, a major aerospace company known for its pioneering aircraft designs.
5. Anne Northrop (1924-2016), an American philanthropist and arts patron who supported various cultural institutions and organizations in New York City.
The surname Northrop continues to be found in various English-speaking countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, reflecting the historical migration patterns of individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Northrop
Among Census respondents with the surname Northrop, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Northrop 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 Northrop surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.8% · 3,564
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 141
- Two or more races2.7% · 104
- Black or African American1.1% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Northrop
Northrop 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
#8,305
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,990
+263 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 112 places
2020
#8,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,884
-106 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.30
Rank movement Up 147 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,193 | 3,727 | 1.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,305 | 3,990 | 1.35 | +263 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 112 places |
| 2020 | #8,158 | 3,884 | 1.30 | -106 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 147 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 Northrop 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 | #8,305 | #8,158 | 1.8% |
| Count | 3,990 | 3,884 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.30 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Northrop bearers went from 3,990 to 3,884 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 147 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,305 to #8,158.
FAQ
Northrop surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Northrop?
Name Census estimates that about 4,454 living Americans carry the surname Northrop. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 76,954 residents.
How common is Northrop?
Northrop ranks #8,158 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.30 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 3,884 people with the surname Northrop. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,454), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.30 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 Northrop.
Has Northrop become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Northrop went from 3,990 recorded bearers to 3,884. That is a decrease of 106 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,305 to #8,158.
What does the Census say about the background of Northrop?
Among Census respondents with the surname Northrop, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Northrop in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.8% (3,564 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Northrop appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.8%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Northrop (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 Northrop mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived north of a village or near a throp (hamlet or farm). 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 Northrop (1.30 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 Americans have the surname Northrop?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.