2000
#7,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,369
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.62
Rare Last name
Searle
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of shirts or other clothing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,310 Americans carry the last name Searle. That puts it at #6,993 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 64,549 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Searle 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 Searle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.3K
1 in 64,549
Census rank
#6,993
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,631 bearers of the surname Searle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6993rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Searle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Searle
The surname Searle originates from England, first appearing in records during the 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "sār", meaning a wound or sore, and the suffix "-le", which was a diminutive form. Together, the name likely referred to someone who had a distinguishing scar or wound.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Searle can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Searl" and "Serlone", suggesting variations in spelling were common from the beginning.
In the 13th century, records show a William Searle who was a landowner in Somerset, England. Around the same time, a Robert Searle was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1230.
During the 14th century, the name Searle was associated with various place names, such as Searle's Green in Hertfordshire and Searle's Court in Kent. This suggests that some Searle families held land or had influence in those areas.
One notable individual with the surname Searle was John Searle, a 16th-century English lawyer and Member of Parliament who lived from around 1505 to 1568. He served as a Member of Parliament for Maldon, Essex, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
In the 17th century, Thomas Searle (1626-1698) was a prominent English physician and author who wrote several medical treatises, including one on the treatment of smallpox.
Another individual of note was Humphrey Searle (1915-1982), a British composer and conductor who was known for his avant-garde works and collaborations with renowned artists like Benjamin Britten.
The surname Searle has also been associated with notable figures in the United States, such as Ralph Searle (1920-1998), an American civil rights activist and co-founder of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).
Throughout its history, the surname Searle has maintained a strong presence in England, with various spellings and variations emerging over time, reflecting the diverse origins and histories of the families who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Searle
Among Census respondents with the surname Searle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Searle 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 Searle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 4,236
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 190
- Two or more races3.0% · 137
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 41
- Black or African American0.3% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Searle
Searle 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
#7,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,680
+311 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Down 86 places
2020
#6,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,631
-49 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Up 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,059 | 4,369 | 1.62 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,145 | 4,680 | 1.59 | +311 bearers (+7.1%) | Down 86 places |
| 2020 | #6,993 | 4,631 | 1.55 | -49 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 152 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 Searle 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 | #7,145 | #6,993 | 2.1% |
| Count | 4,680 | 4,631 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.59 | 1.55 | -2.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Searle bearers went from 4,680 to 4,631 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,145 to #6,993.
FAQ
Searle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Searle?
Name Census estimates that about 5,310 living Americans carry the surname Searle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 64,549 residents.
How common is Searle?
Searle ranks #6,993 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.55 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,631 people with the surname Searle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,310), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.55 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.55 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Searle.
Has Searle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Searle went from 4,680 recorded bearers to 4,631. That is a decrease of 49 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,145 to #6,993.
What does the Census say about the background of Searle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Searle, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Searle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (4,236 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Searle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Searle (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 Searle mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of shirts or other clothing. 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 Searle (1.55 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 share the surname Searle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.