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

Relic, 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 Relic surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Relic in America

Relic is the 123796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Relic surname appeared 139 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 Relic.

We can also compare 2010 data for Relic 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 Relic

The surname RELIC originated in England during the late medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "relict" or "relicc," meaning a relic or sacred remnant. It is believed to have been an occupational name given to those responsible for the care and preservation of religious relics in monasteries and churches.

The earliest recorded instance of the name RELIC can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, where a Ralph Relik is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire from 1315, which mentions a William Relyk.

Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, the name appeared in various spellings across England, such as Relick, Relyke, and Relik. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies of scribes in recording the name.

One notable bearer of the RELIC surname was John Relic (c. 1415-1490), a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Coventry during the late 15th century. He served as the Mayor of Coventry in 1469 and was a wealthy wool trader.

In the 16th century, the name RELIC appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1523, where a Thomas Relick is recorded as residing in the village of Bisley. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Somerset from 1544 mention a William Relicke.

Another noteworthy individual with the RELIC surname was Richard Relic (c. 1530-1597), a scholar and clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Colchester in Essex from 1586 until his death.

The RELIC surname also had a presence in Scotland, as evidenced by the records of the Scots Peerage from the 17th century. In 1650, a Sir James Relic is mentioned as holding lands in the county of Fife.

During the 18th century, the name RELIC was found in various parish records across England, including in the counties of Lincolnshire, Hertfordshire, and Wiltshire. One notable bearer from this period was William Relic (1712-1789), a prominent clockmaker and watchmaker based in London.

While the RELIC surname may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of English and Scottish surnames, with its origins deeply rooted in the medieval religious and occupational traditions of the British Isles.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Relic

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

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 Relic 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 Relic 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 Relic was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!