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

Runyon, 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 Runyon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Runyon in America

Runyon is the 3872nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Runyon surname appeared 9,153 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Runyon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Runyon 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 Runyon

The surname Runyon is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "rune," which means "a mystery or secret." The name may have been given to someone who was considered a wise person or a keeper of secrets.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Runyon can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1221, which mentions a person named William Runyon. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Runyon is listed.

The Runyon surname is closely associated with the village of Runnymede in Surrey, England. It is believed that the name may have originated from this place name, which is derived from the Old English words "rununge" meaning "a council meeting" and "mede" meaning "a meadow." This suggests that the Runyon family may have lived near a meadow where council meetings or assemblies were held.

In the 14th century, a notable bearer of the Runyon surname was John Runyon, who was a member of the English Parliament from Gloucestershire in 1348. During the 15th century, a prominent figure was Richard Runyon, who served as the Mayor of Bristol in 1472.

Another famous individual with the Runyon surname was Damon Runyon (1884-1946), an American writer and journalist known for his short stories depicting the colorful characters of New York City's underworld. His works, such as "Guys and Dolls," have been adapted for the stage and screen.

Other notable individuals with the Runyon surname include:

1. Walter Runyon (1599-1667), an English Puritan minister who immigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 17th century.
2. Theodore Runyon (1822-1896), an American politician who served as the 22nd Governor of New Jersey from 1893 to 1897.
3. Elizabeth Runyon (1889-1972), an American artist and illustrator known for her children's book illustrations and magazine covers.
4. Paul Runyon (1942-2015), an American actor and voice artist best known for his role as "Herman the Trash Man" in the popular children's television series "The Banana Splits."
5. Steven Runyon (born 1967), an American author and entrepreneur who has written several books on personal development and success strategies.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Runyon

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

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

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

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