2000
#16,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,631
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Quarterman
A surname derived from an English occupational term for a tax collector or administrative official.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,922 Americans carry the last name Quarterman. That puts it at #16,617 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 178,332 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quarterman 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 Quarterman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.9K
1 in 178,332
Census rank
#16,617
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,676 bearers of the surname Quarterman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16617th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quarterman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.5%. The next largest groups are White (27.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quarterman
The surname Quarterman is of English origin, and it can be traced back to the late medieval period. The name is derived from the Old English words "cwart" and "man," meaning "a man who lived near a quarry." The earliest recorded instances of this surname date back to the 13th century in various regions of England, particularly in the counties of Cornwall, Devon, and Somerset.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Quarterman surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire, dated 1327, which lists a "William Quarterman" as a resident of the village of Droitwich. Another early record from the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1352 refers to a "John Quarterman" from the town of Tewkesbury.
The Quarterman surname has also been associated with several notable figures throughout history. In the 16th century, a Richard Quarterman (c. 1520-1588) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol, known for his involvement in the local wool trade. During the English Civil War, a Captain John Quarterman (1612-1679) served in the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell.
Another notable bearer of the Quarterman name was Sir George Quarterman (1752-1825), an English naval officer who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars. He participated in several significant battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, and was knighted for his bravery and leadership.
In the literary realm, John Quarterman (1834-1901) was an English author and poet who published several volumes of verse, including "Songs of the Sierras" and "The Isles of Summer." His works often celebrated the natural beauty of the English countryside and the rugged landscapes of the American West.
The Quarterman surname has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Quarterman's Farm in Devon and Quarterman's Hill in Somerset. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the Quarterman surname who lived or owned land in those areas.
While the Quarterman surname is not as common as some other English surnames, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, military officers, authors, and landowners.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quarterman
Among Census respondents with the surname Quarterman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.5%. The next largest groups are White (27.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Quarterman 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 Quarterman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American66.5% · 1,115
- White27.0% · 452
- Two or more races3.9% · 65
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 39
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quarterman
Quarterman 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
#17,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,642
+11 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 974 places
2020
#16,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,676
+34 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Up 632 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,275 | 1,631 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,249 | 1,642 | 0.56 | +11 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 974 places |
| 2020 | #16,617 | 1,676 | 0.56 | +34 bearers (+2.1%) | Up 632 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 Quarterman 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 | #17,249 | #16,617 | 3.7% |
| Count | 1,642 | 1,676 | 2.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.56 | 0.56 | 0.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quarterman bearers went from 1,642 to 1,676 (+2.1% change). The surname moved up 632 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,249 to #16,617.
FAQ
Quarterman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quarterman?
Name Census estimates that about 1,922 living Americans carry the surname Quarterman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 178,332 residents.
How common is Quarterman?
Quarterman ranks #16,617 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.56 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 1,676 people with the surname Quarterman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,922), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.56 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 Quarterman.
Has Quarterman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quarterman went from 1,642 recorded bearers to 1,676. That is an increase of 34 (+2.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,249 to #16,617.
What does the Census say about the background of Quarterman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quarterman, the largest self-reported group is Black at 66.5%. The next largest groups are White (27.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Quarterman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.5% (1,115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quarterman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (66.5%), White (27.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Quarterman (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 Quarterman mean?
A surname derived from an English occupational term for a tax collector or administrative official. 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 Quarterman (0.56 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 Quarterman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.