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

Strayer, 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 Strayer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Strayer in America

Strayer is the 8994th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Strayer surname appeared 3,636 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 Strayer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Strayer 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 Strayer

The surname Strayer has its origins in the Middle High German word 'streif', meaning a wanderer or vagabond. It is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of central Europe during the 13th century. The name was likely given as a descriptive term for someone who traveled frequently or had a nomadic lifestyle.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Strayer can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony dating back to the 13th century. In this record, a person named Henricus Strayer is mentioned as a witness to a land transaction in the year 1289.

The surname Strayer also appears in various medieval records from the region, including the Würzburger Lehenbücher (Würzburg Feudal Records) from the 14th century. These records document individuals with the name Strayer holding land or property in the Würzburg area of modern-day Germany.

In the 15th century, the name Strayer was found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, where it was spelled as 'Streyher'. This variation likely stemmed from the local dialect and pronunciation of the name.

One notable individual with the surname Strayer was Johann Strayer (1532-1605), a German theologian and Protestant reformer from Nuremberg. He was a prominent figure in the Lutheran Church and authored several influential works on theology and church doctrine.

Another individual of historical significance was Hans Strayer (1610-1678), a German goldsmith and engraver from Augsburg. His intricate and highly detailed metalwork pieces were sought after by nobles and wealthy patrons throughout Europe during the 17th century.

In the 18th century, a family by the name of Strayer settled in the region of Alsace, which at the time was part of the Holy Roman Empire (now part of France). This branch of the Strayer family produced several notable individuals, including Johann Georg Strayer (1724-1795), a renowned clockmaker whose intricately designed timepieces were highly prized for their craftsmanship.

Another individual of note was Friedrich Strayer (1781-1865), a German philosopher and educator who taught at the University of Berlin. He was a proponent of the idealist philosophy championed by Immanuel Kant and Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel.

While the surname Strayer has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world due to migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Strayer

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

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

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

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