2000
#2,380
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,969
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.18
Uncommon Last name
Squires
An occupational surname referring to a square-keeper or a servant attending a knight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,364 Americans carry the last name Squires. That puts it at #2,631 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.48 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,309 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Squires 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 Squires with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 22,309
Census rank
#2,631
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,398 bearers of the surname Squires in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.48 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2631st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Squires, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Squires
The surname Squires originated in England during the medieval period. It is an occupational name derived from the Old French word "esquire," which referred to a man who attended a knight and carried his shield and other equipment. The name Squires is a variant spelling of the word "esquire."
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Squires can be found in various historical records from the 13th and 14th centuries. For example, the name appears in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, where a William le Esquier is mentioned. The name is also found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which lists a John le Squyer.
During the medieval period, the name Squires was primarily concentrated in the counties of Worcestershire, Warwickshire, and Staffordshire. However, over time, the name spread to other parts of England as well. Some notable individuals with the surname Squires from this era include Sir John Squire, a knight who fought in the Hundred Years' War (c. 1337-1453), and Robert Squire, a member of the Parliament of England in 1391.
As the surname Squires evolved, various spellings emerged, such as Squyer, Squier, and Squyer. These variations can be found in various historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1428, which mentions a William Squyer, and the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1486, which lists a John Squier.
In the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Squires continued to be prevalent in England. One notable figure from this time was Edward Squire, a Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake in Wingham, Kent, in 1555 during the reign of Queen Mary I. Another notable individual was Sir John Squire, a Member of Parliament and landowner from Lincolnshire, who lived from 1586 to 1658.
As time progressed, the surname Squires spread beyond England to other parts of the British Isles and, eventually, to the colonies in North America and other parts of the world. Some notable individuals with the surname Squires from later periods include Sir William Squire (1809-1878), an English businessman and Member of Parliament, and Ethelbert Squire (1841-1912), an English-born American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Squires
Among Census respondents with the surname Squires, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Squires 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 Squires surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 11,462
- Black or African American5.8% · 780
- Two or more races4.2% · 562
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 410
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 116
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 68
Timeline
Historical Census data for Squires
Squires 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
#2,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,045
+76 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 4.76
Rank movement Down 194 places
2020
#2,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,398
-647 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 4.48
Rank movement Down 57 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,380 | 13,969 | 5.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,574 | 14,045 | 4.76 | +76 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 194 places |
| 2020 | #2,631 | 13,398 | 4.48 | -647 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 57 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 Squires 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 | #2,574 | #2,631 | -2.2% |
| Count | 14,045 | 13,398 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.76 | 4.48 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Squires bearers went from 14,045 to 13,398 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 57 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,574 to #2,631.
FAQ
Squires surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Squires?
Name Census estimates that about 15,364 living Americans carry the surname Squires. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,309 residents.
How common is Squires?
Squires ranks #2,631 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.48 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,398 people with the surname Squires. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,364), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.48 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.48 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Squires.
Has Squires become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Squires went from 14,045 recorded bearers to 13,398. That is a decrease of 647 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,574 to #2,631.
What does the Census say about the background of Squires?
Among Census respondents with the surname Squires, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Squires in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (11,462 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Squires appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (5.8%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Squires (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 Squires mean?
An occupational surname referring to a square-keeper or a servant attending 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 Squires (4.48 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 Americans have the surname Squires?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.