2000
#2,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.87
Uncommon Last name
Randle
From the Old English "Randwulf," a surname derived from a personal name meaning "shield wolf."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,965 Americans carry the last name Randle. That puts it at #2,527 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Randle 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 Randle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,469
Census rank
#2,527
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,922 bearers of the surname Randle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2527th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Randle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.2%. The next largest groups are White (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Randle
The surname RANDLE is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "rand" or "rande," meaning a border, edge, or boundary. The name likely referred to someone who lived near the edge of a town or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Randel" and "Randulf." This suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the late 11th century.
In the 13th century, the name is recorded in various forms, such as "Randel," "Randolf," and "Randulf," reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Cheshire, Lancashire, and Yorkshire.
One notable early bearer of the surname was Sir Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray (c. 1278 - 1332), a Scottish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England.
Another historical figure with the surname was John Randolph (1773 - 1833), an American politician who served as a Representative and Senator for Virginia. He was known for his oratorical skills and was a prominent figure in the early years of the United States.
In the 16th century, the surname is found in the records of the town of Nantwich, Cheshire, where it appears as "Randle" and "Randulle." This suggests that the modern spelling of the name had become more standardized by this time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname in the New World is that of Edward Randolph (c. 1632 - 1703), an English colonial administrator and one of the main instigators of the persecution of the Salem witches in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Another notable bearer of the RANDLE surname was Wilfred Randolph (1894 - 1982), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club and represented England in Test matches between 1920 and 1927.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Randle
Among Census respondents with the surname Randle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.2%. The next largest groups are White (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Randle 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 Randle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American67.2% · 9,350
- White24.1% · 3,359
- Two or more races4.9% · 677
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 461
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Randle
Randle 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
#2,508
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,437
+1,304 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 4.89
Rank movement Up 16 places
2020
#2,527
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,922
-515 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 4.66
Rank movement Down 19 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,524 | 13,133 | 4.87 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,508 | 14,437 | 4.89 | +1,304 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 16 places |
| 2020 | #2,527 | 13,922 | 4.66 | -515 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 19 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 Randle 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 | #2,508 | #2,527 | -0.8% |
| Count | 14,437 | 13,922 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.89 | 4.66 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Randle bearers went from 14,437 to 13,922 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 19 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,508 to #2,527.
FAQ
Randle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Randle?
Name Census estimates that about 15,965 living Americans carry the surname Randle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,469 residents.
How common is Randle?
Randle ranks #2,527 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.66 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,922 people with the surname Randle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,965), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.66 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Randle.
Has Randle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Randle went from 14,437 recorded bearers to 13,922. That is a decrease of 515 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,508 to #2,527.
What does the Census say about the background of Randle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Randle, the largest self-reported group is Black at 67.2%. The next largest groups are White (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Randle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.2% (9,350 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Randle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (67.2%), White (24.1%), Two or More Races (4.9%). 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 Randle (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 Randle mean?
From the Old English "Randwulf," a surname derived from a personal name meaning "shield wolf." 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 Randle (4.66 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 Randle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.