2000
#34,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 622
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Simcoe
A locative surname referring to someone from Simcoe, Ontario, Canada.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 795 Americans carry the last name Simcoe. That puts it at #35,059 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 431,138 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Simcoe 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 Simcoe with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
795
1 in 431,138
Census rank
#35,059
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
693
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 693 bearers of the surname Simcoe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35059th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Simcoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Simcoe
The surname Simcoe originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sim" meaning "flat" and "cō" meaning "ridge," suggesting a potential connection to a geographical feature or location.
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, there is a mention of a Robertus de Symcowe, indicating the presence of the name in its early form.
During the 14th century, the name appeared in various records, including the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire, where a Thomas de Symcowe was documented in 1332. The Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 also referenced a John Symcok.
In the 15th century, the name was recorded in the Feet of Fines for Hertfordshire, with a mention of a Thomas Symcoke in 1498. This period also saw the emergence of variations in spelling, such as Simcock and Simcox.
One of the earliest prominent individuals with the surname Simcoe was John Graves Simcoe (1752-1806), a British army officer and the first Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (now Ontario, Canada). He played a significant role in the development of the province and is commemorated through various place names, including the city of Simcoe and Lake Simcoe in Ontario.
Another notable figure was Samuel Simcoe (1706-1783), an English merchant and politician who served as the Mayor of Exeter and a Member of Parliament for Honiton.
In the 19th century, John Simcoe Blackburn (1826-1905), an English clergyman and author, gained recognition for his works on sacred poetry and religious literature.
The name Simcoe has also been associated with places in England, such as Simcoe's Corner in Wiltshire and Simcoe's Park in Dorset, although the direct connection to the surname is uncertain.
While the exact origin of the Simcoe surname remains debated, it has a rich history dating back to medieval England and has been borne by notable individuals across various fields throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Simcoe
Among Census respondents with the surname Simcoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Simcoe 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 Simcoe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 649
- Two or more races4.2% · 29
- Hispanic or Latino1.4% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Simcoe
Simcoe 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
#34,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 648
+26 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 376 places
2020
#35,059
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 693
+45 bearers (+6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 224 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,459 | 622 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,835 | 648 | 0.22 | +26 bearers (+4.2%) | Down 376 places |
| 2020 | #35,059 | 693 | 0.23 | +45 bearers (+6.9%) | Down 224 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 Simcoe 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 | #34,835 | #35,059 | -0.6% |
| Count | 648 | 693 | 6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.23 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Simcoe bearers went from 648 to 693 (+6.9% change). The surname moved down 224 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,835 to #35,059.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Simcoe
FAQ
Simcoe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Simcoe?
Name Census estimates that about 795 living Americans carry the surname Simcoe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 431,138 residents.
How common is Simcoe?
Simcoe ranks #35,059 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 693 people with the surname Simcoe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (795), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Simcoe.
Has Simcoe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Simcoe went from 648 recorded bearers to 693. That is an increase of 45 (+6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,835 to #35,059.
What does the Census say about the background of Simcoe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Simcoe, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Simcoe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (649 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Simcoe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (1.4%). 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 Simcoe (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 Simcoe mean?
A locative surname referring to someone from Simcoe, Ontario, Canada. 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 Simcoe (0.23 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 Simcoe?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.