2000
#14,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,865
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Usry
A surname possibly derived from a place name containing the word "eure" meaning water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,004 Americans carry the last name Usry. That puts it at #16,031 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 171,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Usry 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
2.0K
1 in 171,035
Census rank
#16,031
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,748 bearers of the surname Usry in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16031st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Usry, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Usry
The surname USRY has its origins in the medieval French language and is believed to have been derived from the Old French word "usiere," meaning "doorkeeper" or "gatekeeper." This occupational surname was likely first adopted by those who served as doorkeepers or gatekeepers in castles, monasteries, or other significant establishments during the Middle Ages.
The earliest known record of the name USRY dates back to the 13th century in the northern regions of France, particularly in the areas of Normandy and Brittany. It is speculated that the name may have been introduced to England following the Norman Conquest in 1066, when many Norman French settlers accompanied William the Conqueror and established themselves in various parts of the country.
In the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are no direct mentions of the surname USRY. However, variations of the name, such as "Ussier" and "Ussiere," can be found, suggesting that the name was present in England during that period.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name USRY was Jean Usry, a French nobleman who lived in the late 13th century and was known for his military exploits during the Crusades. Another notable figure was Sir William Usry, an English knight who served under King Edward III during the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453).
In the 15th century, the USRY surname appeared in various historical records, including the Chronicles of Froissart, a famous medieval work detailing the events of the Hundred Years' War. The name was also associated with several places in France, such as the village of Usry in the department of Eure-et-Loir.
During the Renaissance period, the USRY surname gained prominence through individuals like Pierre Usry (1520-1587), a renowned French scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the intellectual discourse of the time. Another notable bearer of the name was Marie Usry (1580-1647), a French noblewoman and philanthropist known for her charitable works and support of the arts.
In the 17th century, the USRY surname found its way to the New World, with some of the earliest recorded instances in the American colonies. One such individual was John Usry (1635-1712), an English colonist who settled in Virginia and became a successful landowner and farmer.
Throughout history, the USRY surname has been associated with various professions and fields, from military service and academia to politics and the arts. While the surname may have originated from a humble occupational title, it has since been carried by individuals who have left their mark on society in various ways.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Usry
Among Census respondents with the surname Usry, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Usry 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 Usry surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.7% · 1,428
- Black or African American11.3% · 198
- Two or more races3.1% · 54
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 48
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Usry
Usry 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
#15,771
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,848
-17 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 1,143 places
2020
#16,031
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,748
-100 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Down 260 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,628 | 1,865 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,771 | 1,848 | 0.63 | -17 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 1,143 places |
| 2020 | #16,031 | 1,748 | 0.58 | -100 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 260 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 Usry 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 | #15,771 | #16,031 | -1.6% |
| Count | 1,848 | 1,748 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.58 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Usry bearers went from 1,848 to 1,748 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 260 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,771 to #16,031.
FAQ
Usry surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Usry?
Name Census estimates that about 2,004 living Americans carry the surname Usry. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 171,035 residents.
How common is Usry?
Usry ranks #16,031 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.58 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 1,748 people with the surname Usry. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,004), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.58 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 Usry.
Has Usry become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Usry went from 1,848 recorded bearers to 1,748. That is a decrease of 100 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,771 to #16,031.
What does the Census say about the background of Usry?
Among Census respondents with the surname Usry, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.7%. The next largest groups are Black (11.3%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Usry in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.7% (1,428 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Usry appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.7%), Black (11.3%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Usry (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 Usry mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name containing the word "eure" meaning water. 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 Usry (0.58 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 common is the surname Usry?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Usry is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.