2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Raycroft
A locational surname referring to someone from a place with a croft (small farm) near a ray (clearing).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 194 Americans carry the last name Raycroft. That puts it at #110,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,766,775 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raycroft 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
194
1 in 1,766,775
Census rank
#110,961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
169
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 169 bearers of the surname Raycroft in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 110961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raycroft, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raycroft
The surname Raycroft has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from a place name, suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname hailed from a specific locality. One theory traces its roots to a location known as "Ray's Croft," which may have referred to a small farm or land holding owned by an individual named Ray.
In the Domesday Book, a renowned survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are records of several places that could potentially be the source of the Raycroft name. For instance, the village of Raithby in Lincolnshire and the hamlet of Raycroft in Lancashire have been proposed as possible origins.
The earliest documented instances of the Raycroft surname can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is a charter from the reign of King Edward I, dated 1272, which mentions a John de Raycroft from Derbyshire. Another early reference comes from the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332, where a Thomas de Raycroft is recorded.
Throughout the centuries, the Raycroft surname has been subject to various spelling variations, reflecting regional dialects and scribal interpretations. Some of these variations include Raycrofte, Raycroft, Raycrofts, and Raycroft-Crosby.
Amongst the notable individuals bearing the Raycroft surname, one can mention:
1. Sir John Raycroft (c. 1570-1632), an English landowner and member of parliament from Lincolnshire.
2. Reverend William Raycroft (1623-1677), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Geddington, Northamptonshire.
3. Elizabeth Raycroft (1736-1806), a British philanthropist and social reformer known for her work in establishing charitable institutions.
4. George Raycroft (1815-1895), a British architect renowned for his work on churches and public buildings in London.
5. Sir Thomas Raycroft (1858-1927), a British industrialist and politician who served as a member of parliament for several constituencies in Lancashire.
While the Raycroft surname may not be as widely recognized as some others, its long history and diverse bearers have contributed to the rich tapestry of English heritage and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raycroft
Among Census respondents with the surname Raycroft, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Raycroft 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 Raycroft surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 157
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 2
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raycroft
Raycroft 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
#121,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 142
+1 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,738 places
2020
#110,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 169
+27 bearers (+19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 10,629 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #121,590 | 142 | 0.05 | +1 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 6,738 places |
| 2020 | #110,961 | 169 | 0.06 | +27 bearers (+19.0%) | Up 10,629 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 Raycroft 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 | #121,590 | #110,961 | 8.7% |
| Count | 142 | 169 | 19.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 13.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raycroft bearers went from 142 to 169 (+19.0% change). The surname moved up 10,629 positions in the national ranking, going from #121,590 to #110,961.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Raycroft
FAQ
Raycroft surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raycroft?
Name Census estimates that about 194 living Americans carry the surname Raycroft. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,766,775 residents.
How common is Raycroft?
Raycroft ranks #110,961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 169 people with the surname Raycroft. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (194), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Raycroft.
Has Raycroft become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raycroft went from 142 recorded bearers to 169. That is an increase of 27 (+19.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #121,590 to #110,961.
What does the Census say about the background of Raycroft?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raycroft, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Raycroft in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raycroft appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Hispanic (3.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (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 Raycroft (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 Raycroft mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a place with a croft (small farm) near a ray (clearing). 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 Raycroft (0.06 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 Raycroft?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.