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

Surtees, 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 Surtees surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Surtees in America

Surtees is the 93921st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Surtees surname appeared 195 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 Surtees.

We can also compare 2010 data for Surtees 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 Surtees

The surname Surtees originated in the North East of England, particularly in the counties of Northumberland and Durham. It is derived from the Old English word 'soor', meaning 'sour' or 'bitter', combined with 'tees', referring to the River Tees. The name likely referred to someone who lived near the sour or acidic waters of the River Tees.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Surteys. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 11th century.

The Surtees family played a prominent role in the history of County Durham. In the 12th century, a member of the family, Robert de Surteys, held lands in Dinsdale and Middleton St. George. By the 13th century, the family had established themselves as lords of the manor of Dinsdale.

A notable figure bearing the Surtees name was Robert Surtees (1779-1834), an English antiquary and historian who published several works on the history and antiquities of County Durham. His major work, "The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham," was published in four volumes between 1816 and 1840.

Another influential individual was Reverend Robert Surtees (1805-1864), an English clergyman and historian who wrote extensively on the history of County Durham and the surrounding areas. His works include "The History and Antiquities of the County Palatine of Durham" and "The History of the Town and County of Newcastle upon Tyne."

In the 19th century, William Surtees (1809-1858) was a renowned English railway engineer who played a key role in the construction of several important railway lines in England, including the Stockton and Darlington Railway and the London and Birmingham Railway.

The Surtees name has also been associated with notable figures in sports. Robert Surtees (1906-1992) was an English Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and multiple Isle of Man TT winner, while John Surtees (1934-2017) was a British motor racing driver and successful competitor in both Formula One and motorcycle racing, winning the Formula One World Championship in 1964.

Throughout its history, the Surtees surname has maintained strong ties to the North East of England, particularly in the counties of Northumberland and Durham, where it originated and flourished.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Surtees

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

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

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

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