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

Strong, 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 Strong surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Strong in America

Strong is the 760th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Strong surname appeared 45,432 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname Strong.

We can also compare 2010 data for Strong 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 Strong

The surname Strong is an English name that dates back to the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "strang," meaning strong, powerful, or vigorous. The name likely originated as a nickname for someone who possessed great physical strength or was known for their fortitude and resilience.

During the Middle Ages, surnames were often derived from physical characteristics, occupations, or place names. The use of the surname Strong can be found in various historical records, such as the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of land and property ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest of England.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Strong is in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1194, where a person named William Strong is mentioned. Another early reference can be found in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire from 1207, which lists a Hugo Strong.

The surname Strong has been associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Sir John Strong (c. 1360-1409), a prominent English soldier and landowner who served under King Richard II and King Henry IV. During the Wars of the Roses in the 15th century, Sir John Strong fought for the House of Lancaster.

Another notable bearer of the surname Strong was Edward Strong (1569-1645), an English clergyman and theologian who served as a chaplain to King James I and taught at the University of Cambridge. He is known for his work "The Doctrine of the Last Judgement," which was published in 1644.

In the 17th century, Nathaniel Strong (1601-1655) was an English Puritan minister who emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. He became one of the founders of the town of Taunton, Massachusetts, and served as the first minister of the Taunton Church.

During the American Revolutionary War, John Strong (1738-1799) was a prominent Connecticut merchant and patriot who served as a member of the Continental Congress and as a judge on the Superior Court of Connecticut.

In more recent times, the surname Strong has been associated with individuals such as Sir Archibald Strong (1831-1904), a British naval officer and explorer who served in the Royal Navy and was involved in the exploration of the Arctic regions.

The surname Strong has been found in various spellings over the centuries, including Stronge, Strang, and Stron. It has also been linked to certain place names in England, such as Strongford and Strongville, which may have influenced the development of the surname.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Strong

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

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

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

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