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

Surls, 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 Surls surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Surls in America

Surls is the 60960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Surls surname appeared 330 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Surls.

We can also compare 2010 data for Surls 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 Surls

The surname SURLS is of English origin, believed to have originated in the southern counties of England during the medieval period.

The name SURLS is thought to be a variant spelling or dialectal form of the Old English word "surles," which meant "sour" or "ill-tempered." This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a gruff or unpleasant demeanor.

Some of the earliest recorded instances of the SURLS surname can be found in parish records and tax rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries in counties such as Dorset, Somerset, and Devon. It is possible that the name may have been associated with certain geographical locations or place names, but the specific origins are unclear.

One of the earliest known bearers of the SURLS surname was John Surls, born in Bridport, Dorset, in 1587. Another notable figure was William Surls, a merchant from Taunton, Somerset, who was recorded in the town's guild records in the early 1600s.

In the 17th century, the SURLS surname appeared in the Subsidy Rolls for Crewkerne, Somerset, where a Thomas Surls was listed as a taxpayer in 1642. This suggests that the family had established roots in the area by this time.

During the 18th century, the SURLS name spread to other parts of England, and several individuals with this surname achieved recognition. One such figure was Samuel Surls, a prominent lawyer and landowner from Gloucestershire, who lived from 1712 to 1788.

Another notable bearer of the SURLS surname was Elizabeth Surls, a renowned author and poet from Wiltshire, who published several works in the late 1700s. Her most famous work was a collection of poems titled "Verses from the Countryside," published in 1795.

In the 19th century, the SURLS name continued to be found across various regions of England, with some families relocating to other parts of the United Kingdom or emigrating to other countries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Surls

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

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

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

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