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

Scarbrough, 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 Scarbrough surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Scarbrough in America

Scarbrough is the 4256th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Scarbrough surname appeared 8,327 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 Scarbrough.

We can also compare 2010 data for Scarbrough 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 Scarbrough

The surname Scarbrough has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded references dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "scar" and "burgh," referring to a rocky hill or prominent outcrop near a fortified town or settlement.

One of the earliest known mentions of the name Scarbrough can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire from 1273, where it appears as "Scardeburgh." This early spelling variation suggests a connection to the town of Scarborough, a coastal town in North Yorkshire known for its rugged cliffs and historic castle.

Throughout the medieval period, the Scarbrough name was particularly concentrated in the Yorkshire area, with various branches of the family holding lands and estates in the region. In the 14th century, records show a John de Scardeburg serving as a member of parliament for Yorkshire in 1324.

The Domesday Book, the remarkable survey of landholdings commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the Scarbrough surname. However, it does mention the settlement of Scarborough, further reinforcing the connection between the name and the geographical location.

One notable figure in the history of the Scarbrough name was Sir Robert Scarbrough (1569-1636), an English courtier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Grantham and held various positions under King James I and King Charles I.

Another prominent individual was Sir Charles Scarbrough (1615-1694), a distinguished military commander during the English Civil War. He fought for the Royalist cause and later served as a Member of Parliament for Northallerton after the Restoration.

In the 18th century, George Scarbrough (1678-1748) was a well-known English mathematician and astronomer, best known for his contributions to the calculation of the orbits of comets and his work on celestial mechanics.

The Scarbrough name also has connections to the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being William Scarbrough (1746-1831), a Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia who later settled in Tennessee and became a prominent landowner and judge.

Throughout the 19th century, the Scarbrough family continued to play a role in various fields, including politics, academia, and the military. Notable figures from this period include William Henry Scarbrough (1821-1900), a U.S. Congressman from Virginia, and James Scarbrough (1838-1911), a Union Army officer during the American Civil War.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Scarbrough

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

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

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

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