2000
#11,635
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,473
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.92
Rare Last name
Row
An occupational surname referring to a person who lived near or worked in a hedgerow or row of houses.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,719 Americans carry the last name Row. That puts it at #12,483 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,059 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Row 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 Row with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 126,059
Census rank
#12,483
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,371 bearers of the surname Row in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12483rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Row, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Row
The surname Row originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'row', which referred to a row or line of houses or buildings. The name likely originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived in a row of dwellings or near a row of buildings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Row can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions a person named Godric de la Rowe, which is an early spelling variation of the name.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Row began to appear more frequently in various historical records and documents. For instance, William de la Rowe was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. Another early bearer of the name was John atte Rowe, who was recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327.
In the 15th century, the surname Row was often associated with various place names in England. For example, there was a village called Rowe in Wiltshire, and several other places with similar names, such as Rowton in Shropshire and Rowley in Staffordshire.
One notable person with the surname Row was John Row (c. 1568-1646), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and reformer. He was a prominent figure in the Scottish Reformation and played a significant role in the establishment of Presbyterianism in Scotland.
Another historical figure with the name Row was Thomas Row (1786-1853), an English painter and engraver. He was known for his landscapes and portraits and was a member of the Royal Academy.
In the 19th century, the surname Row was also associated with several literary figures. For instance, George Row (1807-1888) was an English novelist and playwright, best known for his novel "The Lamplighter".
Another notable person with the surname Row was Henry Row (1851-1926), an English composer and organist. He was the organist at London's St. Paul's Cathedral for over 40 years and composed numerous works for the organ and choir.
Finally, one of the most famous people with the surname Row was Jessie Row (1865-1945), an Australian feminist and social reformer. She was a prominent advocate for women's rights and played a significant role in the establishment of the Women's Service Guilds in Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Row
Among Census respondents with the surname Row, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Row 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 Row surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 1,952
- Black or African American5.2% · 124
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 100
- Two or more races4.0% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Row
Row 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
#12,703
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,430
-43 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 1,068 places
2020
#12,483
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,371
-59 bearers (-2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Up 220 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,635 | 2,473 | 0.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,703 | 2,430 | 0.82 | -43 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,068 places |
| 2020 | #12,483 | 2,371 | 0.79 | -59 bearers (-2.4%) | Up 220 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 Row 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 | #12,703 | #12,483 | 1.7% |
| Count | 2,430 | 2,371 | -2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.79 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Row bearers went from 2,430 to 2,371 (-2.4% change). The surname moved up 220 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,703 to #12,483.
FAQ
Row surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Row?
Name Census estimates that about 2,719 living Americans carry the surname Row. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,059 residents.
How common is Row?
Row ranks #12,483 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,371 people with the surname Row. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,719), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Row.
Has Row become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Row went from 2,430 recorded bearers to 2,371. That is a decrease of 59 (-2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,703 to #12,483.
What does the Census say about the background of Row?
Among Census respondents with the surname Row, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Row in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (1,952 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Row appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Black (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.2%). 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 Row (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 Row mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who lived near or worked in a hedgerow or row of houses. 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 Row (0.79 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 surname Row?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.