2000
#3,866
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,438
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.13
Rare Last name
Rayburn
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream where deer drink."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,251 Americans carry the last name Rayburn. That puts it at #4,253 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rayburn 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
9.3K
1 in 37,051
Census rank
#4,253
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,067 bearers of the surname Rayburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4253rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rayburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rayburn
The surname Rayburn is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the late 12th century. Originally, it was derived from the Old English words "ra," meaning a roe or deer, and "burna," a stream or brook, indicating that the name was likely associated with a location near a stream frequented by deer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where it appears as "Rayburne." This suggests that the name had already established itself in that region by the late 12th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, such as Rayburn, Raeburn, Raiburn, and Raburn, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and regional dialects.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where it was recorded as "Rayburne de Bampton." This reference indicates a connection between the name and the town of Bampton, suggesting that the family may have originated from or resided in that area.
One notable historical figure bearing the name was Sir Henry Rayburn (c. 1550-1625), a wealthy English merchant and Member of Parliament for Colchester in the early 17th century. He was known for his involvement in the Levant Company, which traded with the Ottoman Empire.
Another prominent individual was John Rayburn (1776-1859), an American politician and lawyer who served as a United States Representative from Pennsylvania from 1837 to 1843.
In the literary realm, Samuel Rayburn (1828-1905), an American Baptist minister and author, published several works, including "Rayburn's Complete Works" and "The Baptists: Their Origin, Principles, and Progress."
The name has also been associated with notable places, such as Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C., named after the late Speaker of the House, Sam Rayburn (1882-1961), who served as a U.S. Representative from Texas for nearly 50 years.
Lastly, William Rayburn (1862-1936), a Scottish-born American painter, was known for his landscape and portrait works, particularly those depicting scenes from the American West.
While the surname Rayburn may have evolved from its Old English roots, it has maintained a presence throughout history, with various notable individuals contributing to its legacy across different fields and regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rayburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Rayburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Rayburn 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 Rayburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 7,164
- Two or more races4.0% · 321
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 291
- Black or African American2.4% · 190
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 59
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rayburn
Rayburn 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
#4,152
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,532
+94 bearers (+1.1%)
Per 100,000 2.89
Rank movement Down 286 places
2020
#4,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,067
-465 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 2.70
Rank movement Down 101 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,866 | 8,438 | 3.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,152 | 8,532 | 2.89 | +94 bearers (+1.1%) | Down 286 places |
| 2020 | #4,253 | 8,067 | 2.70 | -465 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 101 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 Rayburn 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 | #4,152 | #4,253 | -2.4% |
| Count | 8,532 | 8,067 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 2.89 | 2.70 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rayburn bearers went from 8,532 to 8,067 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 101 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,152 to #4,253.
FAQ
Rayburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rayburn?
Name Census estimates that about 9,251 living Americans carry the surname Rayburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,051 residents.
How common is Rayburn?
Rayburn ranks #4,253 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,067 people with the surname Rayburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,251), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Rayburn.
Has Rayburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rayburn went from 8,532 recorded bearers to 8,067. That is a decrease of 465 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,152 to #4,253.
What does the Census say about the background of Rayburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rayburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Rayburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (7,164 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rayburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Rayburn (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 Rayburn mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream where deer drink." 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 Rayburn (2.70 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 are called Rayburn?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Rayburn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.