Find out how popular the last name Strahan is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Strahan.

Strahan, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Strahan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Strahan in America

Strahan is the 9172nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Strahan surname appeared 3,559 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Strahan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Strahan to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Strahan

The surname Strahan has its origins in Scotland, emerging in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word 'Strath', meaning valley or glen, and 'àbhainn', meaning river or stream. This suggests that the name originated from a specific place, likely a valley or glen near a river or stream.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which lists those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. Here, the name appears as 'de Strathawan', indicating its Scottish roots.

In the 14th century, the name is mentioned in the records of the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland, with various spellings such as 'Strathawan' and 'Strathawin'. This highlights the fluidity of surname spellings in early times.

The name Strahan is also linked to several place names in Scotland, such as Strathannan in Perthshire and Strathavon in Banffshire. These place names likely influenced the surname's evolution and regional variations.

Notable individuals bearing the Strahan surname include:

1. Sir George Strahan (1677-1748), a British Member of Parliament and Lord Mayor of London.
2. William Strahan (1715-1785), a Scottish printer and publisher who worked with renowned authors like Samuel Johnson and Benjamin Franklin.
3. Alexander Strahan (1833-1918), a Scottish-born Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Canadian Parliament.
4. George Strahan (1854-1912), a Scottish-born Australian politician and member of the Australian Senate.
5. Michael Strahan (born 1971), a former American football defensive end who played for the New York Giants and is now a television personality.

While the Strahan surname has roots in Scotland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including England, Ireland, Canada, Australia, and the United States, due to migration and the expansion of the British Empire.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Strahan

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Strahan.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Strahan was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Strahan has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Strahan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Strahan, please contact us.

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