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

Surprise, 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 Surprise surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Surprise in America

Surprise is the 43006th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Surprise surname appeared 503 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 Surprise.

We can also compare 2010 data for Surprise 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 Surprise

The surname "SURPRISE" is believed to have originated in France during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old French word "surpris," which means "taken by surprise" or "caught off guard." This word likely stemmed from the Latin "super" meaning "above" or "over" and "prehendere" meaning "to seize."

The name may have been initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for someone who was easily startled or caught unawares. It could have also been applied to someone who had a tendency to ambush or surprise others, perhaps in a military or hunting context.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "SURPRISE" can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Normandy, a series of financial records from the 13th century. In these rolls, a man named Jehan Surprise is mentioned as a taxpayer in the town of Caen.

Another early reference to the name appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, England, from the late 12th century. These rolls document a landowner named Roger Surprise who held property in the village of Bibury.

In the 14th century, a knight named Raoul Surprise fought alongside the French king Philip VI during the Hundred Years' War against the English. Raoul is mentioned in several contemporary chronicles for his bravery in battle and his ability to launch surprise attacks on the enemy.

During the Renaissance period, a famous French playwright named Jacques Surprise (1520-1592) wrote several satirical works that poked fun at the aristocracy and the Catholic Church. His plays were known for their unexpected plot twists and clever wordplay.

In the 17th century, a Dutch explorer named Willem Surprise (1625-1689) was among the first Europeans to explore the western coast of Australia. He is credited with discovering and naming several islands and bays in the region, including Surprise Island and Surprise Bay.

As the name "SURPRISE" spread across Europe, it took on various regional spellings and variations, such as Surprize, Surpryse, and Surprize. These different forms can be found in historical records and documents throughout the continent.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Surprise

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

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

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

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