2000
#118,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Powders
A surname derived from the occupation of a maker or seller of gunpowder.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Powders. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Powders 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.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Powders in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Powders, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.0%) and Black (6.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Powders
The surname POWDERS is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the late 16th century. It is likely derived from the Old English word "powder," which referred to a fine, dry substance used for various purposes, such as cooking or as a cosmetic.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Somerset, where a John Powders was christened in 1589. Another early reference is the birth record of a William Powders in Gloucestershire in 1602.
The name may have initially been an occupational surname, given to individuals who worked with powders or were involved in trades related to the production or use of powders, such as apothecaries, millers, or gunpowder makers.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various parts of England, including Wiltshire, where a Thomas Powders was born in 1632, and Oxfordshire, where a Richard Powders was recorded in 1675.
Notable individuals with the surname POWDERS include Sir John Powders (1712-1789), a prominent merchant and landowner in Cornwall, who served as the High Sheriff of Cornwall in 1755. Another noteworthy figure was Mary Powders (1787-1865), a renowned philanthropist and social reformer from Yorkshire, who founded several orphanages and schools for underprivileged children.
In the 19th century, the name spread to other parts of the British Isles, with records showing a James Powders born in County Antrim, Ireland, in 1822, and a William Powders born in Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1847.
Other notable individuals with the surname POWDERS include:
1. Henry Powders (1832-1904), a British explorer and adventurer who documented his travels in Africa and Asia.
2. Elizabeth Powders (1861-1937), an English author and poet known for her romantic novels set in the Victorian era.
3. George Powders (1895-1972), a British military officer who served in both World War I and World War II, receiving numerous decorations for his bravery.
4. Alice Powders (1918-2001), a pioneering British scientist who made significant contributions to the field of genetics.
5. Robert Powders (born 1958), a contemporary English artist renowned for his abstract paintings and sculptures.
While the surname POWDERS is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, philanthropists, writers, soldiers, and artists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Powders
Among Census respondents with the surname Powders, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.0%) and Black (6.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Powders 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 Powders surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.0% · 80
- Two or more races8.0% · 8
- Black or African American6.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.0% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Powders
Powders 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+3 bearers (+2.2%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,560 places
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-39 bearers (-28.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 31,886 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,236 | 136 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +3 bearers (+2.2%) | Down 5,560 places |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -39 bearers (-28.1%) | Down 31,886 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 Powders 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 | #123,796 | #155,682 | -25.8% |
| Count | 139 | 100 | -28.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -33.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Powders bearers went from 139 to 100 (-28.1% change). The surname moved down 31,886 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #155,682.
FAQ
Powders surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Powders?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Powders. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Powders?
Powders ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Powders. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Powders.
Has Powders become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Powders went from 139 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 39 (-28.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Powders?
Among Census respondents with the surname Powders, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.0%) and Black (6.0%). 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 Powders in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.0% (80 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Powders appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.0%), Two or More Races (8.0%), Black (6.0%). 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 Powders (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 Powders mean?
A surname derived from the occupation of a maker or seller of gunpowder. 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 Powders (0.03 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 Powders?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.