2000
#6,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,082
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.88
Rare Last name
Squire
An occupational surname referring to an attendant, servant, or shield-bearer of a knight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,978 Americans carry the last name Squire. That puts it at #6,278 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 57,336 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Squire 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 Squire with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
6.0K
1 in 57,336
Census rank
#6,278
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,213 bearers of the surname Squire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6278th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Squire, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Squire
The surname Squire originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old French word "esquire," which meant an attendant to a knight or a young man who aspired to the rank of knighthood. The earliest recorded use of the surname Squire dates back to the 13th century.
Squire was an occupational surname given to individuals who served as esquires or attendants to knights. These individuals often came from wealthy families and were trained in the art of warfare and chivalry. The name suggests a connection to the aristocracy and the feudal system that existed in medieval England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Squire appears in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a man named William le Squier is mentioned. The prefix "le" was commonly used in Norman French surnames to indicate a person's occupation or distinguishing characteristic.
In the 14th century, the surname Squire can be found in various historical records, such as the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which lists a John Squyer. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex in 1327, where a John le Squyer is recorded.
During the 15th century, the surname Squire began to be associated with specific locations. For example, the surname Squire of Stoke Poges in Buckinghamshire can be traced back to the late 15th century. This branch of the Squire family held land and property in the area.
One notable figure bearing the surname Squire was Samuel Squire (1714-1766), an English clergyman and author who wrote "An Enquiry into the Nature of the English Constitution." Another prominent individual was Leonard Squire (1673-1742), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Middlesex.
In the 17th century, the surname Squire was also found in other parts of England. For instance, John Squire (1610-1678) was an English politician and landowner from Nottinghamshire. Additionally, the Squire family of Wiltshire can be traced back to the late 16th century, with records showing a Thomas Squire residing in the area.
Other notable individuals with the surname Squire include Sir John Squire (1610-1707), an English politician and landowner from Lincolnshire, and Edward Squire (1807-1864), a British engraver and sculptor known for his work on the Albert Memorial in London.
Throughout its history, the surname Squire has maintained its connection to nobility, land ownership, and the feudal system of medieval England. While the occupation of an esquire may have evolved over time, the surname Squire remains a testament to the influential role these individuals played in the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Squire
Among Census respondents with the surname Squire, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Squire 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 Squire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.3% · 3,455
- Black or African American25.8% · 1,346
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 169
- Two or more races3.1% · 163
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 47
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Squire
Squire 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
#6,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,349
+267 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.81
Rank movement Down 165 places
2020
#6,278
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,213
-136 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 1.74
Rank movement Up 85 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,198 | 5,082 | 1.88 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,363 | 5,349 | 1.81 | +267 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 165 places |
| 2020 | #6,278 | 5,213 | 1.74 | -136 bearers (-2.5%) | Up 85 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 Squire 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 | #6,363 | #6,278 | 1.3% |
| Count | 5,349 | 5,213 | -2.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.81 | 1.74 | -3.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Squire bearers went from 5,349 to 5,213 (-2.5% change). The surname moved up 85 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,363 to #6,278.
FAQ
Squire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Squire?
Name Census estimates that about 5,978 living Americans carry the surname Squire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 57,336 residents.
How common is Squire?
Squire ranks #6,278 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.74 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 5,213 people with the surname Squire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,978), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.74 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 Squire.
Has Squire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Squire went from 5,349 recorded bearers to 5,213. That is a decrease of 136 (-2.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,363 to #6,278.
What does the Census say about the background of Squire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Squire, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (25.8%) and Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Squire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (3,455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Squire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.3%), Black (25.8%), Hispanic (3.2%). 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 Squire (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 Squire mean?
An occupational surname referring to an attendant, servant, or shield-bearer of a knight. 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 Squire (1.74 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 Squire?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Squire at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.