2000
#29,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 742
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Very Rare Last name
Pembroke
A habitational name for someone from Pembroke in West Wales.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 814 Americans carry the last name Pembroke. That puts it at #34,389 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 421,074 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pembroke 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 Pembroke with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
814
1 in 421,074
Census rank
#34,389
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
710
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 710 bearers of the surname Pembroke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34389th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pembroke, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pembroke
The surname Pembroke originated in England during the medieval period, deriving its name from the town of Pembroke in Wales. The name itself is a combination of the Welsh words "pen" meaning "head" and "bro" meaning "landing place" or "territory," referring to the location of the town at the head of a peninsula in Pembrokeshire.
The earliest recorded references to the surname Pembroke can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears in various spellings, including Penbroc and Pembroc, reflecting the evolution of the spelling over time.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the surname Pembroke was Walter de Pembroke, who lived in the 12th century and served as a knight under King Henry II. He was granted lands in Pembrokeshire and played a significant role in the Welsh Marches, the border region between England and Wales.
Another notable figure with the Pembroke surname was Aymer de Valence, Earl of Pembroke (c. 1265-1324), a powerful nobleman and military commander during the reigns of Edward I and Edward II. He was involved in various conflicts, including the Scottish Wars of Independence and the Baronial Wars against the Crown.
In the 15th century, Jasper Tudor, Earl of Pembroke (1431-1495), was a prominent figure and the uncle of King Henry VII. He played a crucial role in the Wars of the Roses and was instrumental in securing the Tudor dynasty's claim to the English throne.
William Herbert, 1st Earl of Pembroke (c. 1501-1570), was a prominent courtier and statesman during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI, and Elizabeth I. He held several important positions, including Lord President of Wales and Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire.
Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586), a renowned poet, courtier, and soldier, was also a member of the Pembroke family. He was closely associated with the court of Elizabeth I and is remembered for his influential works, including "Astrophel and Stella" and "The Defence of Poesy."
Throughout its history, the Pembroke surname has been closely tied to the town and region of Pembrokeshire in Wales, reflecting the ancestral roots and territorial connections of those who bore the name. The name's enduring presence in historical records and its association with notable figures underscore its significance in English and Welsh history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pembroke
Among Census respondents with the surname Pembroke, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Pembroke 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 Pembroke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.4% · 606
- Black or African American7.9% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 23
- Two or more races2.4% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pembroke
Pembroke 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
#31,873
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 724
-18 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 2,000 places
2020
#34,389
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 710
-14 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.24
Rank movement Down 2,516 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,873 | 742 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,873 | 724 | 0.25 | -18 bearers (-2.4%) | Down 2,000 places |
| 2020 | #34,389 | 710 | 0.24 | -14 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 2,516 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 Pembroke 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 | #31,873 | #34,389 | -7.9% |
| Count | 724 | 710 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.24 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pembroke bearers went from 724 to 710 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 2,516 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,873 to #34,389.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Pembroke
FAQ
Pembroke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pembroke?
Name Census estimates that about 814 living Americans carry the surname Pembroke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 421,074 residents.
How common is Pembroke?
Pembroke ranks #34,389 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.24 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 710 people with the surname Pembroke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (814), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.24 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.24 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Pembroke.
Has Pembroke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pembroke went from 724 recorded bearers to 710. That is a decrease of 14 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,873 to #34,389.
What does the Census say about the background of Pembroke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pembroke, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.4%. The next largest groups are Black (7.9%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Pembroke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.4% (606 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pembroke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.4%), Black (7.9%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Pembroke (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 Pembroke mean?
A habitational name for someone from Pembroke in West Wales. 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 Pembroke (0.24 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 are called Pembroke?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Pembroke at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.