2000
#792
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,742
First available Census row
Per 100,000 14.73
Uncommon Last name
Randolph
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Randolf, meaning "shield-wolf" or "rim-wolf" in Old Norse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 45,063 Americans carry the last name Randolph. That puts it at #866 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 13.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,606 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Randolph 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 Randolph with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
45K
1 in 7,606
Census rank
#866
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
13.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
39K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 39,297 bearers of the surname Randolph in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 13.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 866th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Randolph, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.5%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Randolph
The surname Randolph originated in England during the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "rand" meaning rim or border, and "hyll" meaning hill or ridge, together translating to "border ridge". The name likely referred to someone who lived near a ridge or boundary line.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Randulphus". This reference suggests the name was already in use by the late 11th century in England. Other early spellings include Randolf, Randulfe, and Randolff.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Randolph de Gernon, a Norman knight who accompanied William the Conqueror during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. He became the Earl of Chester and was granted lands in Cheshire.
Another notable figure was Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray (1278-1332), a Scottish nobleman and military leader who played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence against England. He was a close companion and nephew of Robert the Bruce.
In the 15th century, Sir John Randolph (c.1430-1492) was a prominent English landowner and Member of Parliament for Kent. He served as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports under King Edward IV.
During the American Revolutionary War, Edmund Randolph (1753-1813) was an influential statesman and the seventh Governor of Virginia. He also served as the first United States Attorney General under President George Washington.
John Randolph of Roanoke (1773-1833) was a prominent American planter, politician, and diplomat from Virginia. He served in the United States House of Representatives and was known for his oratory skills and fiery speeches.
The surname Randolph has been associated with several place names in England, including Randolph in Norfolk, Randolph Priory in Somerset, and Randolf's Green in Essex. These locations likely derived their names from early settlers or landowners bearing the Randolph surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Randolph
Among Census respondents with the surname Randolph, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.5%) and Two or More Races (5.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Randolph 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 Randolph surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.6% · 21,057
- Black or African American36.5% · 14,358
- Two or more races5.2% · 2,046
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 1,356
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 249
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 231
Timeline
Historical Census data for Randolph
Randolph 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
#840
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 41,129
+1,387 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 13.94
Rank movement Down 48 places
2020
#866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 39,297
-1,832 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 13.15
Rank movement Down 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #792 | 39,742 | 14.73 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #840 | 41,129 | 13.94 | +1,387 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 48 places |
| 2020 | #866 | 39,297 | 13.15 | -1,832 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 26 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 Randolph 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 | #840 | #866 | -3.1% |
| Count | 41,129 | 39,297 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 13.94 | 13.15 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Randolph bearers went from 41,129 to 39,297 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #840 to #866.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Randolph
FAQ
Randolph surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Randolph?
Name Census estimates that about 45,063 living Americans carry the surname Randolph. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,606 residents.
How common is Randolph?
Randolph ranks #866 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 13.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 13 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 39,297 people with the surname Randolph. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (45,063), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 13.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 13.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 13 of them to have the surname Randolph.
Has Randolph become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Randolph went from 41,129 recorded bearers to 39,297. That is a decrease of 1,832 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #840 to #866.
What does the Census say about the background of Randolph?
Among Census respondents with the surname Randolph, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.6%. The next largest groups are Black (36.5%) and Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Randolph in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.6% (21,057 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Randolph appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.6%), Black (36.5%), Two or More Races (5.2%). 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 Randolph (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 Randolph mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Randolf, meaning "shield-wolf" or "rim-wolf" in Old Norse. 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 Randolph (13.15 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 Randolph?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.