2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Raybourne
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream of the warrior" or "river of the rye".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Raybourne. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raybourne 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Raybourne in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raybourne, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raybourne
The surname Raybourne is of English origin, with its roots traceable back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "raeg" and "burna," which together translate to "stream of the roe deer." This suggests that the name may have originated from a location or settlement near a stream frequented by roe deer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Radburnus in the county of Gloucestershire. This individual's name is thought to be a variation of the modern Raybourne spelling.
During the 12th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Raiburne and Rayburne, reflecting the fluidity of spellings in that era. In 1196, a William de Rayburne was listed as a tenant in the manor of Thornbury, Gloucestershire, providing further evidence of the name's early presence in the region.
The Raybourne surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. In the 15th century, John Raybourne (c. 1420 - 1490) was a prominent merchant and landowner in the city of Bristol. His descendants played a significant role in the local government and trade affairs of the region.
Another noteworthy figure was Sir Thomas Raybourne (1568 - 1628), a member of the English gentry who served as a Member of Parliament for the county of Somerset during the reign of King James I.
In the realm of literature, the poet and playwright John Raybourne (1674 - 1739) was a celebrated figure in his time, known for his satirical works that commented on the social and political issues of the day.
The name Raybourne has also been linked to various place names throughout England, such as Raybourne Manor in Buckinghamshire and Raybourne Hill in Gloucestershire. These locations likely derived their names from the original Raybourne settlers or landowners in those areas.
Other notable individuals bearing the Raybourne surname include Sir William Raybourne (1710 - 1782), a prominent naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the 18th century, and Margaret Raybourne (1824 - 1902), a philanthropist and social reformer who dedicated her life to improving the living conditions of the working class in Victorian London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raybourne
Among Census respondents with the surname Raybourne, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Raybourne 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 Raybourne surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 106
- Black or African American2.7% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raybourne
Raybourne 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+5 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,238 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-24 bearers (-17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,936 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 4,238 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -24 bearers (-17.6%) | Down 21,936 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 Raybourne 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 | #126,018 | #147,954 | -17.4% |
| Count | 136 | 112 | -17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raybourne bearers went from 136 to 112 (-17.6% change). The surname moved down 21,936 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #147,954.
FAQ
Raybourne surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raybourne?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Raybourne. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Raybourne?
Raybourne ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Raybourne. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Raybourne.
Has Raybourne become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raybourne went from 136 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 24 (-17.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Raybourne?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raybourne, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Black (2.7%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Raybourne in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raybourne appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Black (2.7%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Raybourne (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 Raybourne mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream of the warrior" or "river of the rye". 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 Raybourne (0.04 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 have the last name Raybourne?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Raybourne on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.