2000
#9,608
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Secor
Derived from a place name meaning "dry place" in Old French, likely referring to someone who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,238 Americans carry the last name Secor. That puts it at #10,791 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,854 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Secor 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.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 105,854
Census rank
#10,791
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,824 bearers of the surname Secor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10791st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Secor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Secor
The surname Secor has its origins in France, dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "secour," which means "help" or "assistance." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who provided aid or support, possibly in a military or feudal context.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Secor surname can be found in the 12th-century cartulary of the Abbey of Saint-Père de Chartres in northern France. This medieval manuscript mentions a certain "Robertus de Secour" who lived in the region around that time.
In the 13th century, the name appears to have spread to other parts of France, with records showing variations such as "Secours" and "Secourt." Some historians believe that the name may have been influenced by the French word "secours," meaning "succor" or "relief," further reinforcing the idea of providing assistance or aid.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Secor surname gained prominence in various regions of France, including Normandy, Brittany, and the Île-de-France. Notable individuals bearing this name include Étienne Secor (1570-1632), a merchant and landowner from Rouen, and Jean-Baptiste Secor (1625-1689), a renowned clockmaker from Paris.
As the French colonial empire expanded, the Secor surname made its way to other parts of the world. In the late 17th century, records show a Jacques Secor who was among the early settlers in the French colony of Acadia (present-day eastern Canada). His descendants later migrated to other parts of North America, helping to establish the Secor name in regions like Quebec and Louisiana.
Another notable figure was Pierre Secor (1715-1792), a French military officer who served in the French and Indian War and later settled in the Illinois Country. His descendants were among the early pioneers in the American Midwest, contributing to the spread of the Secor name in states like Illinois and Missouri.
Throughout history, the Secor surname has been associated with various professions and accomplishments, from military service and commerce to the arts and sciences. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval France, it has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of many regions around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Secor
Among Census respondents with the surname Secor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Secor 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 Secor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 2,600
- Two or more races3.2% · 91
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 84
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
Timeline
Historical Census data for Secor
Secor 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
#10,280
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,136
+32 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 672 places
2020
#10,791
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,824
-312 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 511 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,608 | 3,104 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,280 | 3,136 | 1.06 | +32 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 672 places |
| 2020 | #10,791 | 2,824 | 0.94 | -312 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 511 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 Secor 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 | #10,280 | #10,791 | -5.0% |
| Count | 3,136 | 2,824 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.94 | -10.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Secor bearers went from 3,136 to 2,824 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 511 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,280 to #10,791.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Secor
FAQ
Secor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Secor?
Name Census estimates that about 3,238 living Americans carry the surname Secor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,854 residents.
How common is Secor?
Secor ranks #10,791 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,824 people with the surname Secor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,238), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Secor.
Has Secor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Secor went from 3,136 recorded bearers to 2,824. That is a decrease of 312 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,280 to #10,791.
What does the Census say about the background of Secor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Secor, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (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 Secor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (2,600 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Secor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (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 Secor (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 Secor mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "dry place" in Old French, likely referring to someone who lived there. 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 Secor (0.94 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 share the surname Secor?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.