2000
#14,335
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,916
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Squier
An occupational surname referring to a square or a carpenter who specialized in making squares for construction.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,201 Americans carry the last name Squier. That puts it at #14,827 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 155,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Squier 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 Squier with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.2K
1 in 155,727
Census rank
#14,827
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,919 bearers of the surname Squier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14827th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Squier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Squier
The surname SQUIER has its origins in England, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "esquier," which means squire or shield-bearer. The name was initially given to those who served as attendants or squires to knights or men of high rank.
The earliest recorded instances of the SQUIER surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest known references is found in the Hundredorum Rolls, a census-like survey conducted in England in 1273, where the name is spelled "le Squier."
In the 14th century, the SQUIER surname appeared in several historical records, including the Yorkshire Poll Tax Rolls of 1379, where a John Squier is mentioned. The name also surfaced in the Pipe Rolls of Leicestershire in 1332, referring to a William le Squier.
During the Middle Ages, the name SQUIER was often associated with individuals who held positions of authority or served in military capacities. One notable example is Sir John Squier, who was a prominent English soldier and commander during the Hundred Years' War in the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, the SQUIER surname can be found in various records, including the Parish Registers of Stratford-upon-Avon, where a Robert Squier was recorded in 1594. The name also appears in the Musters of the Militia in Hertfordshire in 1558, listing a Thomas Squier.
Throughout history, several individuals with the SQUIER surname have achieved notable accomplishments. One such figure is Andrew Vazsonyi Squier (1844-1925), an American electrical engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early telecommunications technology.
Another prominent individual was Samuel Squier (1718-1784), an American politician and jurist who served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and played a role in the American Revolutionary War.
In the literary world, Ephraim George Squier (1821-1888) was an American archaeologist and writer who made important contributions to the study of Pre-Columbian civilizations in Central America.
Another notable figure was Eugene Emmanuel Viollet-le-Duc (1814-1879), a French architect and author who was influential in the Gothic Revival movement and the restoration of historic buildings in France.
Finally, Samuel Miles Squier (1825-1898) was an American poet and writer who authored several works, including the poem "Mount Auburn" and the novel "The Huguenot Lovers."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Squier
Among Census respondents with the surname Squier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Squier 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 Squier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 1,735
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 84
- Two or more races3.1% · 59
- Black or African American1.0% · 19
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Squier
Squier 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
#14,787
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,007
+91 bearers (+4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 452 places
2020
#14,827
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,919
-88 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 40 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,335 | 1,916 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,787 | 2,007 | 0.68 | +91 bearers (+4.7%) | Down 452 places |
| 2020 | #14,827 | 1,919 | 0.64 | -88 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 40 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 Squier 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 | #14,787 | #14,827 | -0.3% |
| Count | 2,007 | 1,919 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.68 | 0.64 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Squier bearers went from 2,007 to 1,919 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 40 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,787 to #14,827.
FAQ
Squier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Squier?
Name Census estimates that about 2,201 living Americans carry the surname Squier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 155,727 residents.
How common is Squier?
Squier ranks #14,827 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 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 1,919 people with the surname Squier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,201), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 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 Squier.
Has Squier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Squier went from 2,007 recorded bearers to 1,919. That is a decrease of 88 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,787 to #14,827.
What does the Census say about the background of Squier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Squier, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Squier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (1,735 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Squier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Squier (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 Squier mean?
An occupational surname referring to a square or a carpenter who specialized in making squares for construction. 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 Squier (0.64 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 Squier?
You can see how common the surname Squier is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.