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

Urmson, 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 Urmson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Urmson in America

Urmson is the 121590th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Urmson surname appeared 142 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 Urmson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Urmson 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 Urmson

The surname Urmson originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English personal name "Ormus" or "Ormr," which means "serpent" or "dragon." This name was likely given to someone with a fierce or brave demeanor.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various historical documents from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable example is a mention of a Richard Urmson in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire from the year 1285.

The name Urmson has its roots in the northern counties of England, particularly Lancashire and Yorkshire. It is closely associated with the area around Urmston, a town located between Manchester and Warrington. This place name likely contributed to the development of the surname over time.

In the Domesday Book, a great survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct references to the surname Urmson. However, the book does mention several individuals with the first name Ormr or variations thereof, which could have been precursors to the later surname.

Some notable individuals throughout history who bore the surname Urmson include:

1. John Urmson (1675-1749), an English theologian and academic who served as the Master of Peterhouse, Cambridge.
2. James Clerk Urmson (1858-1934), a British civil servant and author who wrote extensively on Indian history and culture.
3. J. O. Urmson (1915-2012), a British philosopher and academic known for his work on ethics and the philosophy of language.
4. William Urmson (1913-2001), a British actor and playwright who appeared in numerous stage productions and television shows.
5. Helen Urmson (1912-2005), a Scottish painter and printmaker renowned for her landscapes and still-life works.

While the surname Urmson may have evolved from various place names and older spellings over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old English personal name Ormr, reflecting the historical significance and cultural roots of this name in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Urmson

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!