2000
#14,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,948
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Quisenberry
An occupational surname relating to someone who made arrowheads or shafts.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,176 Americans carry the last name Quisenberry. That puts it at #14,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,516 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Quisenberry 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
2.2K
1 in 157,516
Census rank
#14,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,898 bearers of the surname Quisenberry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Quisenberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Black (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Quisenberry
The surname Quisenberry has its origins in England, tracing back to the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from a combination of the Old English words "cwic" (meaning alive or lively) and "burna" (a stream or brook), suggesting a connection to a small, lively watercourse.
One of the earliest known records of the name dates back to the 13th century, when a William de Quicheburn was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272. This earliest spelling variation provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the late 14th century, the Quisenberry surname appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a census-like record compiled during the reign of King Edward I. This document listed a Richard de Qwyssheburn, likely an ancestor of the modern Quisenberry family.
As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, including Quissenbury, Quitchenbury, and Quycheburne, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal preferences of the time.
One notable bearer of the Quisenberry name was John Quisenberry, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Gloucestershire in the late 16th century. He is recorded as having obtained significant property holdings in the county.
In the 17th century, the Quisenberry family gained prominence in the county of Warwickshire, where a Thomas Quisenberry served as a local magistrate and justice of the peace during the reign of King Charles I (1600-1649).
Another prominent figure was William Quisenberry, a renowned scholar and clergyman who lived in the early 18th century. He authored several theological works and served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Oxfordshire from 1712 until his death in 1745.
During the 19th century, the Quisenberry name gained recognition through the accomplishments of Sir Henry Quisenberry (1801-1879), a distinguished British diplomat who served as the ambassador to several European courts.
Additionally, John Quisenberry (1825-1892), a renowned artist and portrait painter, gained acclaim for his depictions of the English aristocracy and his works now hang in several prestigious galleries across the United Kingdom.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Quisenberry
Among Census respondents with the surname Quisenberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Black (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Quisenberry 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 Quisenberry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.0% · 1,613
- Two or more races5.4% · 103
- Black or African American5.3% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Quisenberry
Quisenberry 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
#15,318
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,916
-32 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 1,164 places
2020
#14,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,898
-18 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 364 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,154 | 1,948 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,318 | 1,916 | 0.65 | -32 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 1,164 places |
| 2020 | #14,954 | 1,898 | 0.63 | -18 bearers (-0.9%) | Up 364 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 Quisenberry 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 | #15,318 | #14,954 | 2.4% |
| Count | 1,916 | 1,898 | -0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.63 | -2.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Quisenberry bearers went from 1,916 to 1,898 (-0.9% change). The surname moved up 364 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,318 to #14,954.
FAQ
Quisenberry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Quisenberry?
Name Census estimates that about 2,176 living Americans carry the surname Quisenberry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,516 residents.
How common is Quisenberry?
Quisenberry ranks #14,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,898 people with the surname Quisenberry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,176), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Quisenberry.
Has Quisenberry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Quisenberry went from 1,916 recorded bearers to 1,898. That is a decrease of 18 (-0.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,318 to #14,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Quisenberry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Quisenberry, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Black (5.3%). 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 Quisenberry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.0% (1,613 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Quisenberry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.0%), Two or More Races (5.4%), Black (5.3%). 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 Quisenberry (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 Quisenberry mean?
An occupational surname relating to someone who made arrowheads or shafts. 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 Quisenberry (0.63 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 common is the surname Quisenberry?
You can see how many people have the last name Quisenberry on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.