2000
#4,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,520
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.79
Rare Last name
Raynor
An English occupational surname referring to one who worked as a fox hunter or keeper of foxhounds.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,324 Americans carry the last name Raynor. That puts it at #4,729 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 41,177 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raynor 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 Raynor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.3K
1 in 41,177
Census rank
#4,729
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,259 bearers of the surname Raynor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4729th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raynor, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raynor
The surname Raynor is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English personal name "Reginald," which is a compound of the Germanic elements "ragin" meaning "counsel" and "wald" meaning "rule." Essentially, the name signifies "counselor" or "wise ruler."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raynor appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties compiled by order of William the Conqueror. The name is listed as "Reginald," reflecting its original Old English spelling.
The name Raynor experienced various spelling variations over the centuries, including Reyner, Rainer, Rayner, and Reynor, among others. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal preferences in record-keeping.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Raynor was Sir John Raynor, a prominent English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War. He was renowned for his military prowess and valor in battles against the French.
Another historical figure of note was William Raynor, a 16th-century English clergyman and scholar. He served as the Bishop of Norwich from 1536 to 1545 and played a significant role in the English Reformation.
Transitioning to the 17th century, John Raynor (1623-1677) was a renowned English mathematician and astronomer. He made important contributions to the field of navigation and authored several influential works on celestial mechanics.
In the 18th century, the name Raynor was associated with the village of Raynor Park in Yorkshire, England. This place name likely originated from an early landholder or prominent family bearing the surname Raynor in the region.
Moving forward to the 19th century, John Raynor (1797-1870) was a notable English architect who designed several iconic buildings, including St. Peter's Church in Nottingham and the Royal Pavilion in Brighton.
Throughout its history, the surname Raynor has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including nobles, clergymen, scholars, and professionals. Its enduring presence across centuries bears witness to the rich tapestry of English history and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raynor
Among Census respondents with the surname Raynor, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Raynor 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 Raynor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.2% · 5,387
- Black or African American18.0% · 1,305
- Two or more races3.9% · 285
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 191
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 35
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raynor
Raynor 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
#4,563
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,770
+250 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 2.63
Rank movement Down 197 places
2020
#4,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,259
-511 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 2.43
Rank movement Down 166 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,366 | 7,520 | 2.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,563 | 7,770 | 2.63 | +250 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 197 places |
| 2020 | #4,729 | 7,259 | 2.43 | -511 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 166 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 Raynor 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 | #4,563 | #4,729 | -3.6% |
| Count | 7,770 | 7,259 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.63 | 2.43 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raynor bearers went from 7,770 to 7,259 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 166 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,563 to #4,729.
FAQ
Raynor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raynor?
Name Census estimates that about 8,324 living Americans carry the surname Raynor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 41,177 residents.
How common is Raynor?
Raynor ranks #4,729 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,259 people with the surname Raynor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,324), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Raynor.
Has Raynor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raynor went from 7,770 recorded bearers to 7,259. That is a decrease of 511 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,563 to #4,729.
What does the Census say about the background of Raynor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raynor, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.2%. The next largest groups are Black (18.0%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Raynor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.2% (5,387 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raynor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.2%), Black (18.0%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Raynor (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 Raynor mean?
An English occupational surname referring to one who worked as a fox hunter or keeper of foxhounds. 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 Raynor (2.43 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 Raynor?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Raynor at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.