2000
#4,042
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,074
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.99
Rare Last name
Settle
An English habitational surname derived from places named Settle, or referring to someone who lived near a seat or bench.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,595 Americans carry the last name Settle. That puts it at #4,587 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 39,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Settle 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 Settle with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
8.6K
1 in 39,878
Census rank
#4,587
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,495 bearers of the surname Settle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4587th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Settle, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Settle
The surname SETTLE is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word "setl", which referred to a dwelling or homestead. It is believed to have originated in areas of northern England, particularly Yorkshire and Lancashire, where many early records of the name can be found.
One of the earliest known references to the name SETTLE appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which recorded landowners and their properties in England after the Norman Conquest. The entry mentions a village called "Setel" in the West Riding of Yorkshire, suggesting the name's long-standing association with this region.
In the 13th century, the surname SETTLE began to emerge as a distinct family name, often referring to individuals who hailed from the village of Settle in Yorkshire. The earliest recorded instance of this spelling dates back to 1273, when a Robert de Setill is mentioned in the Assize Court Rolls of Lancashire.
Over the centuries, various spellings of the name have been documented, including Setell, Settell, and Seatle. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and inconsistencies in record-keeping practices.
Notable individuals bearing the surname SETTLE throughout history include:
1. John Settle (c. 1598-1679), an English composer and lutenist who served as a court musician during the reigns of James I and Charles I.
2. Elkanah Settle (1648-1724), an English poet and playwright best known for his work "The Empress of Morocco" and his involvement in the literary quarrel known as the "Dryden-Settle Controversy".
3. Thomas Settle (1789-1857), an English civil engineer and surveyor who played a key role in the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal and other major infrastructure projects.
4. Josiah Settle (1816-1893), a British industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Settle Bedstead Company, a prominent manufacturer of iron bedsteads in the 19th century.
5. William Settle (1866-1924), an American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana from 1905 to 1911.
While the surname SETTLE has its roots in northern England, its bearers have since spread across the globe, carrying with them the legacy of this name's connection to the concept of a dwelling or settlement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Settle
Among Census respondents with the surname Settle, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Settle 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 Settle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1% · 5,931
- Black or African American10.2% · 767
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 363
- Two or more races4.5% · 335
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 43
Timeline
Historical Census data for Settle
Settle 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
#4,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,202
+128 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 2.78
Rank movement Down 287 places
2020
#4,587
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,495
-707 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 2.51
Rank movement Down 258 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,042 | 8,074 | 2.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,329 | 8,202 | 2.78 | +128 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 287 places |
| 2020 | #4,587 | 7,495 | 2.51 | -707 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 258 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 Settle 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 | #4,329 | #4,587 | -6.0% |
| Count | 8,202 | 7,495 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.78 | 2.51 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Settle bearers went from 8,202 to 7,495 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 258 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,329 to #4,587.
FAQ
Settle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Settle?
Name Census estimates that about 8,595 living Americans carry the surname Settle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 39,878 residents.
How common is Settle?
Settle ranks #4,587 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.51 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,495 people with the surname Settle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,595), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.51 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.51 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Settle.
Has Settle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Settle went from 8,202 recorded bearers to 7,495. That is a decrease of 707 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,329 to #4,587.
What does the Census say about the background of Settle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Settle, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (10.2%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Settle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (5,931 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Settle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.1%), Black (10.2%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Settle (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 Settle mean?
An English habitational surname derived from places named Settle, or referring to someone who lived near a seat or bench. 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 Settle (2.51 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 are called Settle?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Settle on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.