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

Queer, 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 Queer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Queer in America

Queer is the 70403rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Queer surname appeared 278 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Queer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Queer 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 Queer

The surname "QUEER" is of English origin, traced back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old English word "cuer," meaning "to twist or turn." This name may have initially been used as a descriptive term for someone who had a peculiar or unusual way of walking or carrying themselves.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England completed in 1086, there are no direct mentions of the surname "QUEER." However, variations such as "Quire" and "Quyre" can be found, likely stemming from the same root word.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname "QUEER" dates back to 1589, when a John Queer was listed in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Lewisham, Kent. Another early reference is found in the Hearth Tax Returns of 1665, which mentions a Thomas Queer residing in the village of Sutton-in-Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

The name "QUEER" was also connected to various place names throughout England, including Queer Street in the town of Rye, East Sussex, and Queer Lane in the village of Crich, Derbyshire. These place names likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in their respective regions.

Among notable individuals bearing the surname "QUEER," one can mention:

1. Robert Queer (1568-1638), an English merchant and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Buckingham from 1623 to 1625.

2. Mary Queer (1612-1678), an English Puritan author and poet, best known for her work "The Virtuous Woman's Guide to Godly Living."

3. William Queer (1745-1821), a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

4. Elizabeth Queer (1789-1860), an English philanthropist and social reformer, who founded several schools and orphanages in the city of Manchester.

5. John Queer (1832-1901), a British explorer and naturalist, renowned for his expeditions to the Amazon rainforest and his contributions to the study of South American flora and fauna.

While the surname "QUEER" may have originated as a descriptive term, it has since become a well-established family name with a rich history spanning several centuries in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Queer

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

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 Queer 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 Queer 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 Queer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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