2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Windows
An English surname derived from the Old English word "wind-dor" meaning maker of windows.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Windows. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Windows 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 Windows with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Windows in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Windows, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Windows
The surname Windows has its origins in England, tracing back to medieval times. It is believed to have emerged in the counties of Yorkshire and Lancashire during the late 12th or early 13th century. The name is likely derived from the Old English words "winde" meaning wind and "eow" meaning a clearing or a space, collectively referring to a place exposed to the wind or an open field. Alternatively, it could originate from the term "windoge," an old word for a window, suggesting a connection to individuals who perhaps worked with glass or windows, such as glaziers.
Historical records first indicate the presence of the surname Windows in tax and land documents from the early 13th century. A notable early reference is found in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327 for Yorkshire, where a Walter de Windows is listed. This suggests that the name de Windows may have been associated with a specific location or estate, further supporting the connection to a place name rather than an occupation.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the surname Windows was John Windows, recorded in the Assize Rolls of Lancashire in 1256. John Windows was a landholder and was involved in local legal disputes, reflecting the use of surnames as identifiers in medieval legal documents.
Another notable historical figure is Eliseus Windows, a glazier from London, born in 1575 and active until his death in 1624. His work in restoring stained glass windows in prominent churches during the early 17th century has been well-documented.
In the 17th century, the name Windows continued to appear in various records. Richard Windows, born in 1610 in Nottinghamshire, was a yeoman who appeared in numerous land deeds. His family’s estate documents provide insights into the life and social standing of the Windows family during this period.
In more literary circles, Samuel Windows, born in 1732, made a mark as a poet and pamphleteer in Bath. His works, though not widely known today, were part of the rich tapestry of local literature and civic discourse of the 18th century.
Finally, in the 19th century, Thomas Windows, an inventor from Birmingham, born in 1804, patented several devices related to weaving and the textile industry. His innovations contributed to the Industrial Revolution, cementing the surname Windows in the annals of industrial history.
These individuals, ranging from landowners and craftsmen to poets and inventors, highlight the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore the surname Windows throughout history. Their records provide a fascinating glimpse into the evolution of the name across centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Windows
Among Census respondents with the surname Windows, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Windows 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 Windows surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 99
- Black or African American11.2% · 13
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Windows
Windows 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
#116,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 150
+35 bearers (+30.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 18,728 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-34 bearers (-22.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 28,827 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,201 | 150 | 0.05 | +35 bearers (+30.4%) | Up 18,728 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -34 bearers (-22.7%) | Down 28,827 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 Windows 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 | #116,201 | #145,028 | -24.8% |
| Count | 150 | 116 | -22.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -22.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Windows bearers went from 150 to 116 (-22.7% change). The surname moved down 28,827 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,201 to #145,028.
FAQ
Windows surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Windows?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Windows. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Windows?
Windows ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Windows. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Windows.
Has Windows become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Windows went from 150 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 34 (-22.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,201 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Windows?
Among Census respondents with the surname Windows, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Black (11.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Windows in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Windows appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Black (11.2%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Windows (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 Windows mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English word "wind-dor" meaning maker of windows. 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 Windows (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 common is the surname Windows?
Want to know how common the surname Windows is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.