2000
#11,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,464
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Scrivner
An occupational surname referring to a professional scribe or notary.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,736 Americans carry the last name Scrivner. That puts it at #12,421 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 125,276 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scrivner 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 Scrivner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 125,276
Census rank
#12,421
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,386 bearers of the surname Scrivner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12421st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scrivner, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Black (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scrivner
The surname Scrivner has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "scrifan," meaning "to write" or "to inscribe." The name likely originated as an occupational surname, referring to individuals who worked as scribes or writers, often employed by churches, monasteries, or wealthy patrons.
In the early days, scribes were highly skilled individuals who meticulously transcribed religious texts, legal documents, and literary works by hand. The Scrivner surname would have been given to those who excelled in this profession, recognizing their expertise in calligraphy and their ability to preserve knowledge through written records.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Scrivner name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Scrivener," "Scrivener," and "Scriveyn," reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that era.
Notable individuals bearing the Scrivner surname throughout history include John Scrivener (c. 1550-1615), an English printer and publisher known for his work on the Geneva Bible and other religious texts. Another prominent figure was Richard Scrivener (1613-1698), a Church of England clergyman and scholar who contributed to the study of biblical manuscripts and textual criticism.
In the 16th century, the Scrivner name was associated with the village of Scrivener's Hatch in Kent, England. This place name likely derived from the occupation of scribes or writers who lived and worked in the area, further solidifying the connection between the surname and the scribal profession.
Other notable individuals with the Scrivner surname include Henry Scrivener (1776-1841), an English architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London, and Frederick Scrivener (1813-1891), a Church of England clergyman and biblical scholar who made significant contributions to the study of New Testament manuscripts.
Throughout the centuries, the Scrivner surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including writers, scholars, clergymen, and professionals in various fields. While the occupation of scribes has evolved over time, the surname remains a testament to the historical importance of preserving knowledge and communication through the written word.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scrivner
Among Census respondents with the surname Scrivner, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Black (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Scrivner 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 Scrivner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.8% · 1,951
- Two or more races6.0% · 142
- Black or African American5.3% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 107
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scrivner
Scrivner 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
#12,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,536
+72 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 597 places
2020
#12,421
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,386
-150 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 157 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,667 | 2,464 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,264 | 2,536 | 0.86 | +72 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 597 places |
| 2020 | #12,421 | 2,386 | 0.80 | -150 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 157 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 Scrivner 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 | #12,264 | #12,421 | -1.3% |
| Count | 2,536 | 2,386 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.80 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scrivner bearers went from 2,536 to 2,386 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 157 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,264 to #12,421.
FAQ
Scrivner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scrivner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,736 living Americans carry the surname Scrivner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 125,276 residents.
How common is Scrivner?
Scrivner ranks #12,421 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.80 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,386 people with the surname Scrivner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,736), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.8 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.80 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Scrivner.
Has Scrivner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scrivner went from 2,536 recorded bearers to 2,386. That is a decrease of 150 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,264 to #12,421.
What does the Census say about the background of Scrivner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scrivner, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.0%) and Black (5.3%). 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 Scrivner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (1,951 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scrivner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.8%), Two or More Races (6.0%), Black (5.3%). 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 Scrivner (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 Scrivner mean?
An occupational surname referring to a professional scribe or notary. 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 Scrivner (0.80 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 Scrivner?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.