2000
#7,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,831
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.42
Rare Last name
Raleigh
From an English place name meaning "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing," derived from Old English words.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,337 Americans carry the last name Raleigh. That puts it at #8,383 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 79,030 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raleigh 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 Raleigh with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.3K
1 in 79,030
Census rank
#8,383
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,782 bearers of the surname Raleigh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8383rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raleigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raleigh
The surname Raleigh originated in England, derived from the place name Raleigh, a parish in the county of Devon. The name is thought to come from the Old English words "ra" meaning a meadow or clearing, and "leah" meaning a woodland or grove, suggesting that the name referred to a clearing in a wooded area.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, the first comprehensive survey of land ownership in England, the place name is recorded as "Ralegam". This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name over time.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Raleigh was Sir Walter Raleigh (c. 1554-1618), an English explorer, writer, and courtier. He was born in Devon and is renowned for his efforts in establishing the first English settlement in North America, on Roanoke Island, and for introducing tobacco and potatoes to England.
Another notable figure with the surname Raleigh was Sir Carew Raleigh (1550-1625), a younger son of Walter Raleigh and an English colonist who served as Governor of Jersey. He played a role in the early colonization efforts of Virginia and was involved in the establishment of Jamestown.
In the 16th century, the surname Raleigh was also associated with the Raleigh family, a prominent English gentry family with roots in Devon. One member of this family was Sir John Raleigh (c. 1537-1618), an English landowner and Member of Parliament.
The surname Raleigh has also been linked to several place names in England, such as Raleigh (Devon), Raleigh (Somerset), and Raleigh (Kent), further emphasizing the name's connection to specific geographic locations.
Another individual of historical significance with the surname Raleigh was Thomas Raleigh (1667-1711), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Dean of Wells Cathedral and authored several religious works.
While the surname Raleigh is not among the most common in modern times, its long history and association with notable figures in English history make it a significant part of the country's onomastic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raleigh
Among Census respondents with the surname Raleigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Raleigh 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 Raleigh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 3,242
- Black or African American6.1% · 229
- Two or more races4.5% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 93
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raleigh
Raleigh 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
#8,317
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,984
+153 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 318 places
2020
#8,383
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,782
-202 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 66 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,999 | 3,831 | 1.42 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,317 | 3,984 | 1.35 | +153 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 318 places |
| 2020 | #8,383 | 3,782 | 1.27 | -202 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 66 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 Raleigh 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 | #8,317 | #8,383 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,984 | 3,782 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.35 | 1.27 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raleigh bearers went from 3,984 to 3,782 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 66 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,317 to #8,383.
FAQ
Raleigh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raleigh?
Name Census estimates that about 4,337 living Americans carry the surname Raleigh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 79,030 residents.
How common is Raleigh?
Raleigh ranks #8,383 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.27 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 3,782 people with the surname Raleigh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,337), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.27 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 Raleigh.
Has Raleigh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raleigh went from 3,984 recorded bearers to 3,782. That is a decrease of 202 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,317 to #8,383.
What does the Census say about the background of Raleigh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raleigh, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Raleigh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (3,242 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raleigh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Black (6.1%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Raleigh (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 Raleigh mean?
From an English place name meaning "red clearing" or "roe deer clearing," derived from Old English words. 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 Raleigh (1.27 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 share the surname Raleigh?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.