2000
#9,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,277
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.21
Rare Last name
Warr
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French "werre," meaning one who made war or participated in warfare.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,477 Americans carry the last name Warr. That puts it at #10,132 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.01 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 98,578 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Warr 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 Warr with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 98,578
Census rank
#10,132
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,032 bearers of the surname Warr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.01 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10132nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Warr, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.4%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Warr
The surname "WARR" is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English word "wær," meaning "wary" or "cautious." It is believed to have emerged in England during the 7th or 8th century, initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone who was particularly vigilant or cautious in their manner.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Warra." This entry suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the time of the Norman Conquest in 1066.
By the 12th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as "Warre," "Warr," and "Warre." These variations can be found in various medieval records, including the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from the late 12th century.
In the 13th century, the surname was particularly prominent in the county of Somerset, where it is believed to have originated. One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Warre, a knight who served under King Edward I during the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th century.
The surname continued to spread across England in the following centuries, with several notable individuals bearing the name. These include Sir Christopher Warre (1589-1658), a prominent English politician and member of Parliament during the English Civil War, and Sir Charles Warre Malet (1752-1815), a British naval officer who served in the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.
Another prominent figure with the surname "WARR" was Francis Warre-Warre (1718-1783), an English landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Bridport and Shaftesbury in the mid-18th century.
In the 19th century, the surname was particularly associated with the Warre family of Somerset, who owned extensive estates and were involved in various aspects of public life. One notable member was Sir William Warre (1784-1853), a British Army officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became the Lieutenant Governor of Portsmouth.
Other notable individuals with the surname "WARR" include Edmund Warre (1837-1920), an English educator and headmaster of Eton College, and Edith Mary Warre (1867-1928), an English writer and novelist.
Throughout its history, the surname "WARR" has maintained a strong presence in various regions of England, particularly in the South West counties of Somerset, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire. While its exact origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, the name remains a testament to the rich tapestry of Anglo-Saxon heritage and the enduring legacy of descriptive surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Warr
Among Census respondents with the surname Warr, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.4%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Warr 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 Warr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.4% · 2,044
- Black or African American23.0% · 698
- Two or more races4.3% · 129
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 121
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 18
Timeline
Historical Census data for Warr
Warr 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
#9,968
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,236
-41 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 814 places
2020
#10,132
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,032
-204 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 164 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,154 | 3,277 | 1.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,968 | 3,236 | 1.10 | -41 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 814 places |
| 2020 | #10,132 | 3,032 | 1.01 | -204 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 164 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 Warr 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 | #9,968 | #10,132 | -1.6% |
| Count | 3,236 | 3,032 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 1.01 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Warr bearers went from 3,236 to 3,032 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 164 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,968 to #10,132.
FAQ
Warr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Warr?
Name Census estimates that about 3,477 living Americans carry the surname Warr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 98,578 residents.
How common is Warr?
Warr ranks #10,132 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.01 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 3,032 people with the surname Warr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.01 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.01 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 Warr.
Has Warr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Warr went from 3,236 recorded bearers to 3,032. That is a decrease of 204 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,968 to #10,132.
What does the Census say about the background of Warr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Warr, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.4%. The next largest groups are Black (23.0%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Warr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.4% (2,044 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Warr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.4%), Black (23.0%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Warr (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 Warr mean?
An English occupational surname derived from the Old French "werre," meaning one who made war or participated in warfare. 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 Warr (1.01 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 Warr?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.