Find out how popular the last name Power is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Power.

Power, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Power surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Power in America

Power is the 2435th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Power surname appeared 14,890 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Power.

We can also compare 2010 data for Power to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Power

The surname Power has its origins in England and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "povre," which means "poor" or "humble." The name was likely given as a descriptive nickname to someone who was perceived as poor or of low social status.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which lists a person named Richard le Povre in Cambridgeshire. The name also appears in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mention a John Power in Oxfordshire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name was primarily concentrated in the southern and central regions of England, particularly in counties like Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Oxfordshire. It was sometimes spelled as "Pover" or "Pover" in these early records.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Power (1569-1659), an English politician and landowner from Gloucestershire. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King James I in 1609.

Another prominent figure with this surname was Tyrone Power (1914-1958), an American actor and film star. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and starred in numerous Hollywood movies, including "The Mark of Zorro" and "The Razor's Edge."

William Power (1809-1892) was an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the mining industry. He was known for his extensive charitable contributions and founded the Power Institute of Art in Rochester, New York.

The name Power has also been associated with several place names, such as Power's Cross in Gloucestershire and Power's Court in Wiltshire, both of which likely derived from individuals with this surname.

Other notable individuals with the surname Power include Tyrone Power Sr. (1869-1931), an English-born actor and father of Tyrone Power; Hiram Powers (1805-1873), an American neoclassical sculptor; and Samantha Power (born 1970), an Irish-American author and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Power

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Power.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Power was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Power has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Power was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Power, please contact us.

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