Strange last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Strange

An unusual or surprising surname, often originating as a nickname for an unfamiliar newcomer to a village or town.

Strange, 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 Strange surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Strange in America

Strange is the 2425th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Strange surname appeared 14,948 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Strange.

We can also compare 2010 data for Strange 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2425 2282 6.08%
Count 14,948 14,582 2.48%
Proportion per 100k 5.07 5.41 -6.49%

The history of the last name Strange

The surname STRANGE originates from England and is first recorded in the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old French word "estrange" meaning "foreign" or "alien", referring to someone who came from another place or country. The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1196 as "William le Strange".

The name STRANGE is believed to have been introduced to England by the Normans after the Norman Conquest of 1066. It likely referred to individuals who came from France or other parts of continental Europe, and were considered "strangers" or foreigners in England at the time.

One of the earliest recorded occurrences of the name is in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a "Radulfus le Strange" in Shropshire. This suggests that the name was already present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest.

The STRANGE family played a significant role in English history, particularly in the county of Shropshire. Sir John Strange (c. 1279-1349) was a prominent knight and landowner who served as the Sheriff of Shropshire in 1325. His grandson, Richard Strange (1361-1418), was a member of the English Parliament and fought in the Hundred Years' War against France.

Another notable figure with the surname STRANGE was Sir Roger Strange (c. 1440-1506), a member of the English gentry from Norfolk. He served as a Member of Parliament and was knighted by King Henry VII in 1487.

In the 16th century, Sir Thomas Strange (c. 1493-1545) was a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas during the reign of King Henry VIII.

The name STRANGE is also associated with various place names in England, such as Strange's Meadow in Shropshire and Strange's Bridge in Norfolk, which likely derived from the presence of individuals with this surname in those areas.

Historically, the surname STRANGE has been found in various spellings, including Strang, Straunge, and Estrange, reflecting the evolution of the name over time and its French origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Strange

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

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 Strange was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 82.36% 12,311
Non-Hispanic Black Only 12.90% 1,928
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.48% 72
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.56% 84
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.57% 235
Hispanic Origin 2.12% 317

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 Strange has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 82.36% 83.53% -1.41%
Black 12.90% 12.80% 0.78%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.48% 0.32% 40.00%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.56% 0.54% 3.64%
Two or More Races 1.57% 1.40% 11.45%
Hispanic 2.12% 1.41% 40.23%

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 Strange was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Strange last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 26, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/strange-surname-popularity/.

"Strange last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/strange-surname-popularity/. Accessed 26 July, 2024

Strange last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/strange-surname-popularity/.

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