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

Race, 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 Race surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Race in America

Race is the 6632nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Race surname appeared 5,108 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Race.

We can also compare 2010 data for Race 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 Race

The surname Race is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "rasse" or "race," meaning "family" or "lineage." It is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century, during the Norman Conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Race can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221, where a Robertus Race is mentioned. The name is also found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, which were records of landholders and their holdings in various counties of England.

The surname Race is thought to have evolved from a nickname given to someone who belonged to a particular family or lineage. It may have been used to distinguish between individuals of the same given name but from different families or lineages.

In the 14th century, the surname Race appeared in various historical records, such as the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire in 1379, where a Willelmus Race is listed. The name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1334, which recorded individuals who were subject to taxation.

Some notable individuals bearing the surname Race throughout history include John Race (c. 1510 - c. 1580), an English Protestant reformer and author; Thomas Race (1608 - 1694), an English clergyman and author; Robert Race (1722 - 1779), an English architect and surveyor; William Race (1763 - 1819), an English engraver; and George Race (1819 - 1891), an English cricketer.

The surname Race has also been associated with various place names, such as Race Farm in Cheshire, Race Hill in Shropshire, and Race Wood in Wiltshire. These place names may have influenced the evolution of the surname or vice versa.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Race

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

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

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

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