2000
#8,255
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,692
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.37
Rare Last name
Towner
An occupational surname for someone who lived or worked in a town, as opposed to the countryside.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,372 Americans carry the last name Towner. That puts it at #8,312 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 78,398 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Towner 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 Towner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.4K
1 in 78,398
Census rank
#8,312
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,813 bearers of the surname Towner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8312th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Towner, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Towner
The surname Towner is an occupational name that originated in England during the medieval period. It derives from the Old English word "tun," meaning an enclosure or a farm, and the suffix "er," indicating a person who performs a particular occupation. Thus, a Towner was an individual who lived and worked on a farm or an enclosed settlement.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Towner can be traced back to the 13th century in various English records and manuscripts. One notable reference is in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where a Richard le Tounur is mentioned in Oxfordshire. This early spelling variation highlights the evolution of the name from its Old English origins.
During the 14th century, the name Towner appeared in various places across England, particularly in counties such as Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex. Some notable examples include John le Tounour, recorded in the Subsidy Rolls of Norfolk in 1327, and William Tounour, mentioned in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1380.
Over time, the name Towner also became associated with specific place names, such as Townerton in Norfolk and Townerhill in Herefordshire. These place names likely originated from the Old English words "tun" and "er," reflecting the occupational nature of the surname.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Towner throughout history. One such person was William Towner (1588-1653), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Bocking, Essex. Another prominent figure was John Towner (1720-1804), an English dissenting minister and tutor who was known for his work in education and religious studies.
In the 19th century, John Grey Towner (1808-1886) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Institute of British Architects. Additionally, Elihu Pahmeyer Towner (1833-1907) was an American politician and lawyer who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Iowa.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Towner was Harry Towner (1892-1965), an English composer and conductor who is best known for his work in film scores and popular music. His compositions were featured in numerous films and stage productions throughout the early to mid-20th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Towner
Among Census respondents with the surname Towner, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Towner 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 Towner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.9% · 2,627
- Black or African American20.6% · 784
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 175
- Two or more races4.2% · 159
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 35
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Towner
Towner 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
#8,626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,813
+121 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 371 places
2020
#8,312
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,813
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 1.28
Rank movement Up 314 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,255 | 3,692 | 1.37 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,626 | 3,813 | 1.29 | +121 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 371 places |
| 2020 | #8,312 | 3,813 | 1.28 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Up 314 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 Towner 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 | #8,626 | #8,312 | 3.6% |
| Count | 3,813 | 3,813 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.29 | 1.28 | -1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Towner bearers went from 3,813 to 3,813 (+0.0% change). The surname moved up 314 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,626 to #8,312.
FAQ
Towner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Towner?
Name Census estimates that about 4,372 living Americans carry the surname Towner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 78,398 residents.
How common is Towner?
Towner ranks #8,312 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.28 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 3,813 people with the surname Towner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,372), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.28 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 Towner.
Has Towner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Towner went from 3,813 recorded bearers to 3,813. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,626 to #8,312.
What does the Census say about the background of Towner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Towner, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.9%. The next largest groups are Black (20.6%) and Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Towner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.9% (2,627 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Towner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.9%), Black (20.6%), Hispanic (4.6%). 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 Towner (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 Towner mean?
An occupational surname for someone who lived or worked in a town, as opposed to the countryside. 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 Towner (1.28 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 have the last name Towner?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Towner is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.