2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Unklesbay
A variation or dialectical respelling of the surname Unckles or Uncles, itself derived from a medieval English diminutive of the male given name Unc or Unk.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Unklesbay. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Unklesbay 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.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Unklesbay in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Unklesbay, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Unklesbay
The surname UNKLESBAY has its origins in the northern English county of Yorkshire, with earliest records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to be derived from a locational name, referring to a small hamlet or village that no longer exists or has changed its name over time.
One theory suggests that UNKLESBAY is a corruption of an Old English phrase meaning "the uncle's bay" or "the uncle's inlet," possibly referring to a secluded bay or cove near the settlement where the name originated. Another possibility is that it stems from a combination of the Old English words "uncle" and "bæc," meaning a ridge or hill, indicating a location connected to a relative's elevated homestead.
The earliest recorded instance of the name is found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Ripon, Yorkshire, where a William Unklesbay is listed as a baptism in 1591. Around the same time, a John Unklesbay is mentioned in the court rolls of the manor of Knaresborough, also in Yorkshire, in 1597.
In the 17th century, the UNKLESBAY name appears in various records across northern England. Notably, a Richard Unklesbay was a prominent merchant in the city of York, mentioned in guild records from 1623 to 1642. Another individual, Thomas Unklesbay, was a yeoman farmer in the village of Appletreewick in the Yorkshire Dales, as recorded in the Hearth Tax returns of 1672.
As the centuries progressed, the UNKLESBAY surname spread to other parts of England and beyond. One notable bearer was Sir Robert Unklesbay (1758-1832), a British naval officer who served with distinction during the Napoleonic Wars and was later appointed Governor of the Royal Naval College in Portsmouth.
Other historical figures include Elizabeth Unklesbay (1795-1872), a prominent author and philanthropist from Lancashire, and James Unklesbay (1814-1891), a renowned architect responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
In the late 19th century, a branch of the UNKLESBAY family emigrated to the United States, with records showing a John Unklesbay (1867-1942) settling in Ohio and working as a steel mill worker.
While the exact origins of the UNKLESBAY surname remain somewhat unclear, its history can be traced back to the northern regions of England, where it likely originated as a locational name reflecting the unique geography and settlements of the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Unklesbay
Among Census respondents with the surname Unklesbay, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Unklesbay 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 Unklesbay surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Unklesbay
Unklesbay 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+12 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,862 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,805 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +12 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 2,862 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 4,805 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 Unklesbay 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 | #143,149 | #147,954 | -3.4% |
| Count | 116 | 112 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Unklesbay bearers went from 116 to 112 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 4,805 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #147,954.
FAQ
Unklesbay surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Unklesbay?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Unklesbay. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Unklesbay?
Unklesbay ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 112 people with the surname Unklesbay. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Unklesbay.
Has Unklesbay become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Unklesbay went from 116 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Unklesbay?
Among Census respondents with the surname Unklesbay, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Unklesbay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Unklesbay appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Unklesbay (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 Unklesbay mean?
A variation or dialectical respelling of the surname Unckles or Uncles, itself derived from a medieval English diminutive of the male given name Unc or Unk. 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 Unklesbay (0.04 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 share the surname Unklesbay?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.