2000
#7,202
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,275
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Straight
An English occupational surname referring to a person who kept roads and paths in good order.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,653 Americans carry the last name Straight. That puts it at #7,837 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,663 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Straight 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 Straight with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,663
Census rank
#7,837
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,058 bearers of the surname Straight in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7837th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Straight, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Straight
The surname "STRAIGHT" is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely derived from the Old English word "stræt," meaning "street" or "road." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a prominent street or road.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Strete" or "Strat." This historical record, commissioned by William the Conqueror, documented landholders and properties throughout England, providing valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that era.
By the 13th century, the name had evolved into various spellings, including "Strete," "Strate," and "Stret." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies of medieval recordkeeping.
Notable individuals bearing the surname "STRAIGHT" throughout history include:
1. William Straight (c. 1570-1644), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of St. Peter's College, Cambridge, from 1620 until his death.
2. John Straight (1732-1801), a British naval officer and explorer who participated in several voyages to the Pacific Ocean and played a role in the exploration of the Hawaiian Islands.
3. Elizabeth Straight (1767-1844), a British author and poet known for her works on moral and religious themes, such as "Thoughts on the Moral Government of God" (1801).
4. Richard Straight (1854-1924), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the National Biscuit Company (later known as Nabisco) and played a significant role in the development of the modern baking industry.
5. Michael Straight (1916-2004), an American writer, publisher, and political activist who co-founded the influential magazine "The New Republic" and served as a speechwriter for Adlai Stevenson during his presidential campaigns.
While the surname "STRAIGHT" can be traced back to medieval England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, likely through migration and settlement patterns. The name's origins and evolution reflect the rich tapestry of linguistic and cultural influences that have shaped the English language and its associated surnames over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Straight
Among Census respondents with the surname Straight, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Straight 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 Straight surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 3,462
- Black or African American5.5% · 223
- Two or more races4.4% · 178
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 133
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 29
Timeline
Historical Census data for Straight
Straight 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
#7,708
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,307
+32 bearers (+0.7%)
Per 100,000 1.46
Rank movement Down 506 places
2020
#7,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,058
-249 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,202 | 4,275 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,708 | 4,307 | 1.46 | +32 bearers (+0.7%) | Down 506 places |
| 2020 | #7,837 | 4,058 | 1.36 | -249 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 129 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 Straight 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 | #7,708 | #7,837 | -1.7% |
| Count | 4,307 | 4,058 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.46 | 1.36 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Straight bearers went from 4,307 to 4,058 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,708 to #7,837.
FAQ
Straight surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Straight?
Name Census estimates that about 4,653 living Americans carry the surname Straight. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,663 residents.
How common is Straight?
Straight ranks #7,837 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.36 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 4,058 people with the surname Straight. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,653), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.36 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 Straight.
Has Straight become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Straight went from 4,307 recorded bearers to 4,058. That is a decrease of 249 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,708 to #7,837.
What does the Census say about the background of Straight?
Among Census respondents with the surname Straight, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Straight in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (3,462 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Straight appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (5.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Straight (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 Straight mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who kept roads and paths in good order. 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 Straight (1.36 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 surname Straight?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.