2000
#3,904
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,365
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.10
Rare Last name
Outlaw
An English surname originally given to a person who was declared an outlaw or fugitive from the law.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,801 Americans carry the last name Outlaw. That puts it at #4,030 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,971 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Outlaw 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 Outlaw with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.8K
1 in 34,971
Census rank
#4,030
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,547 bearers of the surname Outlaw in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4030th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Outlaw, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.9%. The next largest groups are White (39.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Outlaw
The surname Outlaw has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "ut" and "lagu," which together meant "outside the law." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to individuals who lived outside the established legal system or were considered outlaws.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Outlaw can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions an individual named Outlau, likely referring to someone who lived on the fringes of society.
During the medieval period, the name Outlaw was primarily concentrated in the northern regions of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Northumberland. These areas were known for their rugged terrain and remote settlements, which may have provided a safe haven for those seeking to evade the authorities.
In the 13th century, there are records of a family named Outlaw residing in the village of Outlaw, located near the town of Wakefield in West Yorkshire. This place name is thought to have been derived from the surname, suggesting that the family had established a significant presence in the area.
One notable figure bearing the Outlaw surname was Sir William Outlaw (c. 1450-1519), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Yorkshire. He served as the Lord Mayor of York in 1507 and was a prominent figure in the city's civic affairs.
Another individual of note was Robert Outlaw (c. 1570-1635), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Archdeacon of Leicester and later became the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford.
In the 17th century, the Outlaw family had established itself in the American colonies, with records indicating the presence of individuals with this surname in Virginia and Maryland. One such person was Henry Outlaw (c. 1640-1709), a planter and landowner in Virginia.
During the 18th century, the Outlaw surname continued to be found in various parts of England, with families residing in counties such as Hertfordshire, Warwickshire, and Gloucestershire. Notable individuals from this period include John Outlaw (1719-1782), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Hertfordshire.
In the 19th century, the Outlaw name gained prominence in the field of literature with the English author Walter Outlaw (1833-1909), who wrote several novels and short stories focused on the themes of adventure and exploration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Outlaw
Among Census respondents with the surname Outlaw, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.9%. The next largest groups are White (39.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Outlaw 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 Outlaw surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American51.9% · 4,432
- White39.5% · 3,379
- Two or more races4.9% · 417
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 236
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Outlaw
Outlaw 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
#3,991
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,901
+536 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 3.02
Rank movement Down 87 places
2020
#4,030
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,547
-354 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 2.86
Rank movement Down 39 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,904 | 8,365 | 3.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,991 | 8,901 | 3.02 | +536 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 87 places |
| 2020 | #4,030 | 8,547 | 2.86 | -354 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 39 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 Outlaw 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 | #3,991 | #4,030 | -1.0% |
| Count | 8,901 | 8,547 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.02 | 2.86 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Outlaw bearers went from 8,901 to 8,547 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 39 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,991 to #4,030.
FAQ
Outlaw surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Outlaw?
Name Census estimates that about 9,801 living Americans carry the surname Outlaw. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,971 residents.
How common is Outlaw?
Outlaw ranks #4,030 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,547 people with the surname Outlaw. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,801), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Outlaw.
Has Outlaw become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Outlaw went from 8,901 recorded bearers to 8,547. That is a decrease of 354 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,991 to #4,030.
What does the Census say about the background of Outlaw?
Among Census respondents with the surname Outlaw, the largest self-reported group is Black at 51.9%. The next largest groups are White (39.5%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Outlaw in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.9% (4,432 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Outlaw appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (51.9%), White (39.5%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Outlaw (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 Outlaw mean?
An English surname originally given to a person who was declared an outlaw or fugitive from the law. 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 Outlaw (2.86 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 share the surname Outlaw?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.