2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Raywood
A locational surname likely from England, referring to a person from a place called Raywood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Raywood. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raywood 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 Raywood with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Raywood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raywood, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raywood
The surname Raywood is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called Raywood, which was likely a small village or hamlet located in one of the counties of southern England.
One of the earliest known records of the name Raywood can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, a medieval census document compiled in 1273. The entry mentions a person named William de Raywood, indicating that the name was already in use by that time.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Raywood was primarily concentrated in the counties of Bedfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Oxfordshire. It is possible that the name originated from a now-lost or obscure place name in one of these regions.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved from its earlier forms, such as Rayewode and Raywod, to the more modern spelling of Raywood. This change likely occurred due to the standardization of English spelling that took place during the Renaissance period.
One notable individual with the surname Raywood was Sir John Raywood, who lived in the late 16th century and served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Buckingham. He was a prominent landowner and played a role in local politics during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another person of historical significance was Elizabeth Raywood, who was born in 1612 in Oxfordshire. She is known for her involvement in the English Civil War, where she supported the Parliamentarian cause and provided aid to soldiers fighting against the Royalists.
In the 18th century, a notable figure was Thomas Raywood (1715-1793), a successful merchant and philanthropist from Bedfordshire. He made a considerable fortune through his trading ventures and used his wealth to support various charitable causes, including the construction of a school and a hospital in his hometown.
Moving into the 19th century, one individual of note was George Raywood (1828-1904), a renowned botanist and horticulturist from Buckinghamshire. He was known for his extensive knowledge of plants and his contributions to the field of plant taxonomy.
Finally, in the early 20th century, there was Margaret Raywood (1892-1976), a pioneering female journalist and author from Oxfordshire. She was one of the first women to work as a foreign correspondent and wrote several books about her travels and experiences abroad.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raywood
Among Census respondents with the surname Raywood, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Raywood 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 Raywood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 95
- Two or more races5.6% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raywood
Raywood 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-12 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,801 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-6 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 19,801 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 5,438 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 Raywood 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 | #146,201 | #151,639 | -3.7% |
| Count | 113 | 107 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raywood bearers went from 113 to 107 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 5,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #151,639.
FAQ
Raywood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raywood?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Raywood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Raywood?
Raywood ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Raywood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Raywood.
Has Raywood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raywood went from 113 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Raywood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raywood, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.6%) and Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Raywood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raywood 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 (5.6%), Hispanic (4.7%). 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 Raywood (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 Raywood mean?
A locational surname likely from England, referring to a person from a place called Raywood. 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 Raywood (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 common is the surname Raywood?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Raywood on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.