2000
#7,420
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,140
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.53
Rare Last name
Walk
An occupational surname referring to a fuller, an individual who cleaned and thickened raw cloth during processing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,692 Americans carry the last name Walk. That puts it at #7,782 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,051 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Walk 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 Walk with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.7K
1 in 73,051
Census rank
#7,782
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,092 bearers of the surname Walk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7782nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Walk, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Walk
The surname WALK is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "wealcan," which means "to walk" or "to roll." This name likely originated as a descriptive nickname for someone who walked with a distinctive gait or who frequently traveled on foot.
The earliest recorded instances of the WALK surname can be traced back to the 13th century. One of the earliest references is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1275, which mentions a William le Walke. The use of the prefix "le" or "the" was a common practice in medieval times, indicating the person's occupation or a distinguishing characteristic.
In the 14th century, the WALK surname appeared in various spellings, such as Walke, Walkere, and Walkar, reflecting the phonetic variations and scribal errors common in that era. The Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279 mentions a Nicholas le Walkar, while the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1332 record a John Walkere.
Variations of the WALK surname can also be found in place names throughout England, such as Walkden in Lancashire, Walkerton in Nottinghamshire, and Walkington in Yorkshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the WALK surname who settled in those areas.
Notable individuals with the WALK surname throughout history include:
1. John Walk (c. 1523-1594), an English composer and organist during the Renaissance period.
2. Ralph Walke (c. 1670-1768), an English colonial leader who served as the Secretary of the Colony of Virginia from 1691 to 1737.
3. Henry Walker (1676-1748), an English mathematician and inventor, best known for his contributions to the development of the modern watch.
4. William Wilkins Walk (1791-1865), an American politician and lawyer who served as the 18th Governor of North Carolina from 1857 to 1859.
5. Mary Walk (1820-1897), an English author and activist who campaigned for women's rights and education in the 19th century.
While the WALK surname may have originated as a descriptive nickname, it has evolved into a well-established surname with a rich history and notable bearers throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Walk
Among Census respondents with the surname Walk, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Walk 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 Walk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.6% · 3,299
- Black or African American10.6% · 432
- Two or more races4.4% · 179
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 119
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 45
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Walk
Walk 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
#7,470
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,460
+320 bearers (+7.7%)
Per 100,000 1.51
Rank movement Down 50 places
2020
#7,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,092
-368 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.37
Rank movement Down 312 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,420 | 4,140 | 1.53 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,470 | 4,460 | 1.51 | +320 bearers (+7.7%) | Down 50 places |
| 2020 | #7,782 | 4,092 | 1.37 | -368 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 312 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 Walk 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 | #7,470 | #7,782 | -4.2% |
| Count | 4,460 | 4,092 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.51 | 1.37 | -9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Walk bearers went from 4,460 to 4,092 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 312 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,470 to #7,782.
FAQ
Walk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Walk?
Name Census estimates that about 4,692 living Americans carry the surname Walk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,051 residents.
How common is Walk?
Walk ranks #7,782 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.37 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 4,092 people with the surname Walk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,692), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.37 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 Walk.
Has Walk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Walk went from 4,460 recorded bearers to 4,092. That is a decrease of 368 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,470 to #7,782.
What does the Census say about the background of Walk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Walk, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.6%. The next largest groups are Black (10.6%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Walk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.6% (3,299 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Walk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.6%), Black (10.6%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Walk (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 Walk mean?
An occupational surname referring to a fuller, an individual who cleaned and thickened raw cloth during processing. 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 Walk (1.37 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 Walk?
You can see how common the surname Walk is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.