Find out how popular the last name Razor is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Razor.

Razor, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Razor surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Razor in America

Razor is the 29473rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Razor surname appeared 801 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Razor.

We can also compare 2010 data for Razor to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Razor

The surname RAZOR is believed to have originated in England during the late medieval period, derived from the Old English word "rasour," which referred to a person who practiced the trade of shaving or cutting hair. This occupation was an important one in medieval times, and those who carried this surname were likely among the earliest professional barbers or hair cutters.

The earliest known record of the RAZOR surname can be traced back to the late 13th century, appearing in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a person named William le Rasour was listed. This early spelling variation highlights the occupational nature of the name, with the addition of the Old French "le" meaning "the."

In the 14th century, the RAZOR surname appeared in various forms, such as Rasour, Rasur, and Raysour, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation during that era. One notable example is John Rasour, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1379.

The RAZOR surname continued to be recorded in various historical documents throughout the centuries. In the 16th century, a man named Thomas Rasor was listed in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1523. This spelling variation suggests a possible connection to the village of Rasor in Somerset, indicating that the surname may have also derived from a place name.

During the 17th century, the RAZOR surname appeared in the Visitation of Dorset in 1623, where a family bearing the name was mentioned. This suggests that the name had gained some prominence and recognition by this time.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the RAZOR surname was John Razor, who was born in Gloucestershire, England, in 1542 and served as a member of the Parliament of England in 1586.

Another notable figure was Sir William Razor, born in 1604 in Somerset, who was a prominent merchant and served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1655.

In the 18th century, the RAZOR surname gained further recognition with the birth of Edward Razor (1715-1789), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.

During the 19th century, the RAZOR surname continued to be present, with individuals like Charles Razor (1826-1901), a successful industrialist and philanthropist from Lancashire, England, who founded the Razor Manufacturing Company and supported various charitable causes.

One of the most famous individuals with the RAZOR surname was Elizabeth Razor (1884-1962), an influential British novelist and essayist, whose works explored themes of social inequality and gender roles in Victorian England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Razor

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Razor.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Razor was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Razor has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Razor was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Razor, please contact us.

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