2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ponsonby
From a place name referring to a location in Yorkshire, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Ponsonby. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ponsonby 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 Ponsonby with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Ponsonby in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ponsonby, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ponsonby
The surname Ponsonby originates from England and dates back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the old French words 'pont' meaning bridge and 'soubz' meaning under, referring to someone who lived near or under a bridge. The name was initially spelled as 'de Pontesoubz' or 'Pontesoubu'.
One of the earliest recorded references to the Ponsonby name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is mentioned in relation to a landowner in Cumberland, England.
The Ponsonby family has a long and illustrious history, with many members holding prominent positions and titles throughout the centuries. One of the earliest notable figures was Sir John Ponsonby (1413-1471), who served as a member of Parliament and fought in the War of the Roses.
Another prominent individual was Sir William Ponsonby (1546-1604), who was a member of the Privy Council under Queen Elizabeth I and played a crucial role in the Tudor government.
In the 18th century, John Ponsonby (1713-1789) served as the Speaker of the Irish House of Commons and was a prominent figure in the Irish Patriot movement.
The Ponsonby family also had connections to the British aristocracy, with several members holding titles such as Earl of Bessborough and Baron Ponsonby of Shulbrede. One of the most famous Earls of Bessborough was Frederick Ponsonby (1758-1844), who served as the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland and played a significant role in Irish politics during the early 19th century.
Another notable figure was Sir Henry Ponsonby (1825-1895), who was the Private Secretary to Queen Victoria and played a crucial role in the management of the British Royal Household during her reign.
Throughout history, the Ponsonby surname has been associated with various place names, including Ponsonby in Cumberland, England, and the Ponsonby estate in County Kilkenny, Ireland.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ponsonby
Among Census respondents with the surname Ponsonby, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ponsonby 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 Ponsonby surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 101
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ponsonby
Ponsonby appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 780 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 780 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 Ponsonby 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 | #153,769 | #152,989 | 0.5% |
| Count | 106 | 105 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ponsonby bearers went from 106 to 105 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 780 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #152,989.
FAQ
Ponsonby surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ponsonby?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Ponsonby. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Ponsonby?
Ponsonby ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Ponsonby. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Ponsonby.
Has Ponsonby become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ponsonby went from 106 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Ponsonby?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ponsonby, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ponsonby in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ponsonby appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Ponsonby (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 Ponsonby mean?
From a place name referring to a location in Yorkshire, England. 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 Ponsonby (0.04 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 surname Ponsonby?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.