2000
#10,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,841
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.05
Rare Last name
Phoenix
A surname derived from the mythical bird, indicating someone who has risen from adversity or experienced rebirth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,947 Americans carry the last name Phoenix. That puts it at #9,121 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,839 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Phoenix 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 Phoenix with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 86,839
Census rank
#9,121
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,442 bearers of the surname Phoenix in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9121st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Phoenix, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (32.6%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Phoenix
The surname Phoenix has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the Greek mythological bird, the phoenix, which symbolized renewal and rebirth. It is possible that the name was initially adopted as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who had experienced a significant transformation or rebirth in their life.
One of the earliest documented examples of the Phoenix surname can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, where a Thomas Phoenix was recorded in 1568. Another early reference is in the records of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, where a William Phoenix from Colchester, Essex, had his will probated in 1585.
During the 17th century, the Phoenix surname appeared in various regions of England, including London, Kent, and Oxfordshire. In 1635, a John Phoenix was listed as a resident of the parish of St. Dunstan's in the East, London. Later, in 1672, a Thomas Phoenix was recorded in the parish registers of Maidstone, Kent.
Notable individuals with the surname Phoenix include Sir Edward Phoenix (1617-1670), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Northamptonshire during the English Civil War. Another prominent figure was John Phoenix (1745-1810), an English Unitarian minister and writer who published several works on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, the surname spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. One example is David Phoenix (1755-1830), a Scottish architect who designed several notable buildings in Edinburgh, such as the Assembly Rooms and the Regent Bridge.
As the British Empire expanded, the Phoenix surname also found its way to other parts of the world. In the 19th century, there were individuals with this surname recorded in British colonies such as India and Australia. One notable Australian with the Phoenix surname was John Phoenix (1862-1940), a politician who served as a member of the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
While the Phoenix surname is not among the most common in the English-speaking world, it has a rich history and is associated with various notable figures throughout the centuries. The name's mythological origins and symbolism of renewal and rebirth have contributed to its enduring appeal and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Phoenix
Among Census respondents with the surname Phoenix, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (32.6%) and Two or More Races (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Phoenix 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 Phoenix surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.5% · 1,807
- Black or African American32.6% · 1,123
- Two or more races7.1% · 245
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 163
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 69
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Phoenix
Phoenix 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
#9,745
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,326
+485 bearers (+17.1%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 649 places
2020
#9,121
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,442
+116 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.15
Rank movement Up 624 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,394 | 2,841 | 1.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,745 | 3,326 | 1.13 | +485 bearers (+17.1%) | Up 649 places |
| 2020 | #9,121 | 3,442 | 1.15 | +116 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 624 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 Phoenix 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 | #9,745 | #9,121 | 6.4% |
| Count | 3,326 | 3,442 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.15 | 1.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Phoenix bearers went from 3,326 to 3,442 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 624 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,745 to #9,121.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Phoenix
FAQ
Phoenix surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Phoenix?
Name Census estimates that about 3,947 living Americans carry the surname Phoenix. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,839 residents.
How common is Phoenix?
Phoenix ranks #9,121 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.15 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 3,442 people with the surname Phoenix. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,947), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.15 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 Phoenix.
Has Phoenix become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Phoenix went from 3,326 recorded bearers to 3,442. That is an increase of 116 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,745 to #9,121.
What does the Census say about the background of Phoenix?
Among Census respondents with the surname Phoenix, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.5%. The next largest groups are Black (32.6%) and Two or More Races (7.1%). 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 Phoenix in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.5% (1,807 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Phoenix appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.5%), Black (32.6%), Two or More Races (7.1%). 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 Phoenix (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 Phoenix mean?
A surname derived from the mythical bird, indicating someone who has risen from adversity or experienced rebirth. 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 Phoenix (1.15 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 Phoenix?
Want to know how many people have the last name Phoenix? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.