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

Runner, 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 Runner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Runner in America

Runner is the 17014th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Runner surname appeared 1,670 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Runner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Runner 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 Runner

The surname RUNNER is an English occupational name derived from the Middle English "rennen" meaning "to run". It originated in medieval times and was likely given to someone whose occupation involved running, such as a messenger or courier.

The earliest known recorded examples of the name date back to the late 13th century. One of the earliest references can be found in the Worcestershire Feet of Fines from 1275, which mentions a William le Runner. Another early record is the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, listing a Johannes Runner from Wakefield.

During the 14th century, the name also appeared in various spellings such as Rennare, Rennour, and Rennere. These variations reflect the different pronunciations and dialects of Middle English at the time.

In the 16th century, the surname RUNNER was particularly concentrated in the counties of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. This may suggest that the name originated in these areas or that those with this occupation were more prevalent there.

One notable figure bearing the RUNNER surname was William Runner (c.1590-1667), an English clergyman who served as the Vicar of Beeford in Yorkshire during the 17th century. Another was John Runner (c.1600-1680), a landowner and yeoman from Lincolnshire.

In the 17th century, the name RUNNER also appeared in some parish records and manorial documents from villages such as Wroughton in Wiltshire and Kingswinford in Staffordshire.

By the 18th century, the surname had spread more widely across England. Some examples include Richard Runner (1712-1785), a farmer from Oxfordshire, and Thomas Runner (1726-1802), a merchant from Surrey.

Throughout its history, the RUNNER surname has been linked to various occupations and trades, reflecting its origins as an occupational name. While not as common as some other English surnames, it has persisted over the centuries, with recorded instances spanning several regions of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Runner

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

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

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

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