2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Scown
An English habitational surname derived from a location name such as Scone in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 183 Americans carry the last name Scown. That puts it at #115,686 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,872,975 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scown 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 Scown with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
183
1 in 1,872,975
Census rank
#115,686
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
160
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 160 bearers of the surname Scown in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 115686th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scown, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scown
The surname SCOWN has its origins in England, with early records indicating its presence in the county of Cornwall as far back as the 13th century. This name is believed to have derived from the Cornish word "scon," meaning a rocky hill or tor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SCOWN surname appears in the Assize Rolls of Cornwall in 1284, where a "William Scone" is mentioned. This suggests that the name was likely established in the region by this time.
During the medieval period, many individuals were identified by their place of residence or a distinguishing geographical feature near their dwelling. The SCOWN name may have originated from a family that lived near a prominent rocky outcrop or tor, leading to their association with the Cornish word "scon."
In the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, a "John de Scone" is listed among the taxpayers of Cornwall, further reinforcing the presence of the surname in the region. The use of the prefix "de" in this instance indicates the family's connection to a specific location.
As time progressed, various spellings of the name emerged, including Scone, Scoan, and Scowen, before settling into the modern form of SCOWN. This evolution in spelling was common during the Middle Ages when standardized spelling conventions were not yet established.
Notable individuals bearing the SCOWN surname throughout history include:
1. John Scown (b. circa 1520), a merchant and landowner in Cornwall known for his involvement in the local tin trade.
2. Richard Scown (1589-1653), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Cleer in Cornwall.
3. Elizabeth Scown (b. 1675), a prominent figure in the Cornish mining industry, known for her management of several tin and copper mines.
4. William Scown (1737-1811), a Cornish engineer and inventor credited with developing improvements to mining machinery and techniques.
5. James Scown (1818-1892), a British explorer and naturalist who documented the flora and fauna of various regions in Africa and South America.
While the SCOWN surname has remained relatively uncommon, it has persisted through the centuries, with its roots firmly planted in the rugged landscapes of Cornwall, where the name's origins can be traced to the rocky hills and tors that dot the region.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scown
Among Census respondents with the surname Scown, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Scown 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 Scown surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.9% · 131
- Two or more races12.5% · 20
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scown
Scown 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
#115,034
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 152
+17 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 3,920 places
2020
#115,686
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
+8 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 652 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #115,034 | 152 | 0.05 | +17 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 3,920 places |
| 2020 | #115,686 | 160 | 0.05 | +8 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 652 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 Scown 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 | #115,034 | #115,686 | -0.6% |
| Count | 152 | 160 | 5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scown bearers went from 152 to 160 (+5.3% change). The surname moved down 652 positions in the national ranking, going from #115,034 to #115,686.
FAQ
Scown surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scown?
Name Census estimates that about 183 living Americans carry the surname Scown. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,872,975 residents.
How common is Scown?
Scown ranks #115,686 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 160 people with the surname Scown. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (183), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Scown.
Has Scown become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scown went from 152 recorded bearers to 160. That is an increase of 8 (+5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #115,034 to #115,686.
What does the Census say about the background of Scown?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scown, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (12.5%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Scown in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.9% (131 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scown appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.9%), Two or More Races (12.5%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Scown (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 Scown mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a location name such as Scone in Scotland. 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 Scown (0.05 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 Scown?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.