2000
#3,577
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.38
Rare Last name
Runyon
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "bramble-covered hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,957 Americans carry the last name Runyon. That puts it at #3,961 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 34,423 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Runyon 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.
Bearers in the US
10.0K
1 in 34,423
Census rank
#3,961
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,683 bearers of the surname Runyon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3961st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Runyon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Runyon
Among Census respondents with the surname Runyon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Runyon 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 Runyon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 7,842
- Two or more races3.9% · 342
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 255
- Black or African American1.9% · 164
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 30
Timeline
Historical Census data for Runyon
Runyon 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
#3,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,153
+30 bearers (+0.3%)
Per 100,000 3.10
Rank movement Down 295 places
2020
#3,961
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,683
-470 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 2.91
Rank movement Down 89 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,577 | 9,123 | 3.38 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,872 | 9,153 | 3.10 | +30 bearers (+0.3%) | Down 295 places |
| 2020 | #3,961 | 8,683 | 2.91 | -470 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 89 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 Runyon 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 | #3,872 | #3,961 | -2.3% |
| Count | 9,153 | 8,683 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 3.10 | 2.91 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Runyon bearers went from 9,153 to 8,683 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 89 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,872 to #3,961.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Runyon
FAQ
Runyon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Runyon?
Name Census estimates that about 9,957 living Americans carry the surname Runyon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 34,423 residents.
How common is Runyon?
Runyon ranks #3,961 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,683 people with the surname Runyon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,957), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Runyon.
Has Runyon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Runyon went from 9,153 recorded bearers to 8,683. That is a decrease of 470 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,872 to #3,961.
What does the Census say about the background of Runyon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Runyon, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Runyon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (7,842 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Runyon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Runyon (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 Runyon mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "bramble-covered hill" in Old English. 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 Runyon (2.91 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 are called Runyon?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Runyon at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.