2000
#5,367
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,970
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.21
Rare Last name
Searles
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the sere (dry) wood" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,638 Americans carry the last name Searles. That puts it at #5,767 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 51,635 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Searles 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 Searles with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.6K
1 in 51,635
Census rank
#5,767
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,789 bearers of the surname Searles in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5767th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Searles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Searles
The surname Searles has its origins in England, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from the Old English word "searul," meaning "seal" or "sea calf." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals who resided near areas where seals were found or with those who were involved in hunting seals.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sereles." This entry refers to a landowner in Devonshire. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Serles, Sarles, and eventually, Searles.
In the 13th century, records mention a John de Serles, who was a resident of Northamptonshire. This provides evidence of the name's continued presence in different regions of England during that era.
The name Searles has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such individual was William Searles (1570-1623), an English clergyman and theologian who served as a chaplain to King James I.
Another prominent figure was John Searles (1638-1698), a renowned English mathematician and astronomer. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society and contributed significantly to the field of celestial mechanics.
In the literary world, Mary Searles (1790-1840) was an English novelist and poet who gained recognition for her works, including "The Narrative of a Life" and "Constance de Beverley."
Moving into the 19th century, Edward Searles (1841-1920) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He amassed a considerable fortune through his investments in railroads and real estate and later became a notable patron of the arts, funding several educational institutions and cultural organizations.
Another notable figure was Walter Searles (1856-1924), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives, representing the state of Pennsylvania.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the surname Searles, highlighting its enduring presence and the diverse contributions made by those who bear this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Searles
Among Census respondents with the surname Searles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Searles 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 Searles surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.7% · 4,384
- Black or African American14.8% · 859
- Two or more races4.7% · 270
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 213
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 19
Timeline
Historical Census data for Searles
Searles 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
#5,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,178
+208 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 2.09
Rank movement Down 260 places
2020
#5,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,789
-389 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.94
Rank movement Down 140 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,367 | 5,970 | 2.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,627 | 6,178 | 2.09 | +208 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 260 places |
| 2020 | #5,767 | 5,789 | 1.94 | -389 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 140 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 Searles 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 | #5,627 | #5,767 | -2.5% |
| Count | 6,178 | 5,789 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.09 | 1.94 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Searles bearers went from 6,178 to 5,789 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 140 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,627 to #5,767.
FAQ
Searles surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Searles?
Name Census estimates that about 6,638 living Americans carry the surname Searles. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 51,635 residents.
How common is Searles?
Searles ranks #5,767 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.94 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 5,789 people with the surname Searles. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,638), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.94 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 Searles.
Has Searles become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Searles went from 6,178 recorded bearers to 5,789. That is a decrease of 389 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,627 to #5,767.
What does the Census say about the background of Searles?
Among Census respondents with the surname Searles, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Searles in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (4,384 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Searles appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.7%), Black (14.8%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Searles (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 Searles mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "dweller by the sere (dry) wood" 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 Searles (1.94 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 last name Searles?
Want to know how common the surname Searles is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.