2000
#8,966
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,354
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Thrift
An occupational surname referring to a person who is frugal, thrifty, or economical in their spending habits.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,658 Americans carry the last name Thrift. That puts it at #9,712 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 93,700 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thrift surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Thrift with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 93,700
Census rank
#9,712
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,190 bearers of the surname Thrift in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9712th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thrift, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thrift
The surname Thrift is of English origin and dates back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "thrift," meaning prosperity, thriving, or success. Initially, it was likely used as a descriptive name or a nickname for someone who was considered prosperous or successful in their endeavors.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Thrift can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the year 1195, where it appears as "Thrifth." This suggests that the name was already in use by that time. In the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, the name is recorded as "Thrift."
During the Middle Ages, the name Thrift appeared in various records and documents across England. One notable example is the Domesday Book of 1086, where a place name "Thriftwelle" (meaning "prosperous spring") is mentioned in Lincolnshire. This place name may have contributed to the development of the surname.
In the 14th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Thrift was Sir John Thrift (c. 1310 - 1370), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Norfolk. He served as the Mayor of Norwich in 1360 and was a member of the Parliament of England.
Another notable individual with the surname Thrift was William Thrift (1550 - 1614), an English theologian and clergyman who served as the Archdeacon of Canterbury from 1608 until his death.
In the 17th century, John Thrift (1635 - 1701) was a prominent English philosopher and writer. He is best known for his work "An Essay Concerning Human Understanding," which had a significant influence on the development of modern philosophy.
Towards the end of the 18th century, Mary Thrift (1770 - 1842) gained recognition as a successful author and poet. Her collection of poems, "Verses on Various Occasions," published in 1810, received critical acclaim.
In the 19th century, Samuel Thrift (1815 - 1895) was a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings, including the St. Paul's Cathedral in London and the Royal Albert Hall.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have carried the surname Thrift throughout history. The name has been associated with prosperity, success, and thriving, reflecting its etymological roots in the Old English language.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thrift
Among Census respondents with the surname Thrift, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Thrift bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Thrift surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 2,811
- Black or African American4.2% · 133
- Two or more races4.0% · 129
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thrift
Thrift appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#9,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,313
-41 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 814 places
2020
#9,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,190
-123 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Up 68 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,966 | 3,354 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,780 | 3,313 | 1.12 | -41 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 814 places |
| 2020 | #9,712 | 3,190 | 1.07 | -123 bearers (-3.7%) | Up 68 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Thrift surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #9,780 | #9,712 | 0.7% |
| Count | 3,313 | 3,190 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.12 | 1.07 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thrift bearers went from 3,313 to 3,190 (-3.7% change). The surname moved up 68 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,780 to #9,712.
FAQ
Thrift surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thrift?
Name Census estimates that about 3,658 living Americans carry the surname Thrift. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 93,700 residents.
How common is Thrift?
Thrift ranks #9,712 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.07 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,190 people with the surname Thrift. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,658), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.07 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Thrift.
Has Thrift become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thrift went from 3,313 recorded bearers to 3,190. That is a decrease of 123 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,780 to #9,712.
What does the Census say about the background of Thrift?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thrift, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Black (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Thrift in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (2,811 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thrift appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Black (4.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Thrift (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Thrift mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who is frugal, thrifty, or economical in their spending habits. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Thrift (1.07 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Thrift?
Want to know how many people have the surname Thrift? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.