2000
#1,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,151
First available Census row
Per 100,000 11.55
Uncommon Last name
Workman
An occupational surname referring to a laborer or worker, particularly in construction or manufacturing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,731 Americans carry the last name Workman. That puts it at #1,135 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,869 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Workman 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 Workman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
35K
1 in 9,869
Census rank
#1,135
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,287 bearers of the surname Workman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1135th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Workman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Workman
The surname WORKMAN is of English and Scottish origin, derived from the occupational term "workman," which referred to a skilled artisan or craftsman. It emerged during the Middle Ages, a period when hereditary surnames were beginning to be adopted.
The name WORKMAN first appeared in the English counties of Northumberland, Durham, and Yorkshire, as well as in Scotland, particularly in the Borders region. It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "worc" or "wyrce," meaning "work" or "labor."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the WORKMAN surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a certain Walter Workeman is mentioned. Other early records include the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which lists a William le Workman.
The WORKMAN name has been associated with various trades and professions throughout history. For instance, William Workman (1605-1677) was a prominent English writer and translator, known for his translations of several works by Spanish authors.
Another notable figure was Benjamin Workman (1819-1900), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who founded the town of Côte Saint-Luc in Quebec. He was also involved in the establishment of several educational institutions, including McGill University.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the WORKMAN surname dates back to the 17th century, when John Workman (1619-1684) emigrated from England and settled in Oyster Bay, Long Island, New York.
The WORKMAN name has also been connected to several place names, such as Workman's Field in Nottinghamshire, England, and Workman's Village in Ontario, Canada, which was established in the early 19th century by a family of that name.
Other notable individuals with the WORKMAN surname include James Workman (1808-1888), a British architect known for his work on medieval churches and cathedrals, and David Workman (1916-2007), an American artist and sculptor recognized for his abstract expressionist works.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Workman
Among Census respondents with the surname Workman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Workman 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 Workman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 26,404
- Black or African American4.7% · 1,429
- Two or more races3.9% · 1,170
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 885
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 237
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 162
Timeline
Historical Census data for Workman
Workman 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
#1,097
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 31,856
+705 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 10.80
Rank movement Down 68 places
2020
#1,135
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,287
-1,569 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 10.13
Rank movement Down 38 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,029 | 31,151 | 11.55 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,097 | 31,856 | 10.80 | +705 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 68 places |
| 2020 | #1,135 | 30,287 | 10.13 | -1,569 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 38 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 Workman 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 | #1,097 | #1,135 | -3.5% |
| Count | 31,856 | 30,287 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 10.80 | 10.13 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Workman bearers went from 31,856 to 30,287 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 38 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,097 to #1,135.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Workman
FAQ
Workman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Workman?
Name Census estimates that about 34,731 living Americans carry the surname Workman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,869 residents.
How common is Workman?
Workman ranks #1,135 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,287 people with the surname Workman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,731), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Workman.
Has Workman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Workman went from 31,856 recorded bearers to 30,287. That is a decrease of 1,569 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,097 to #1,135.
What does the Census say about the background of Workman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Workman, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (4.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Workman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (26,404 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Workman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Black (4.7%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Workman (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 Workman mean?
An occupational surname referring to a laborer or worker, particularly in construction or manufacturing. 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 Workman (10.13 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 Workman?
Find out how many people are called Workman on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.