2000
#15,009
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,807
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Worrall
A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from the village of Worall or Worall Hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,118 Americans carry the last name Worrall. That puts it at #15,296 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Worrall 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 Worrall with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.1K
1 in 161,829
Census rank
#15,296
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,847 bearers of the surname Worrall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15296th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Worrall, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Worrall
The surname Worrall originates from England, with its roots deeply embedded in the Old English language. The name is believed to have been geographically inspired, deriving from the Old English words "wor" meaning "enclosure" or "settlement" and "halh" meaning "nook" or "corner." This etymology points to the name representing someone who lived near or in a settlement at a corner of land or an enclosed area.
Worrall is first traced to the counties of Cheshire and Lancashire. Old records from these regions include various spellings such as Worral, Worrall, and Worall, which highlight the phonetic variations before standardized spelling was adopted. The name appears in medieval manuscripts, affirming its presence in these areas since at least the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Thomas de Worrall, who is mentioned in the "Assize Rolls" for Cheshire in 1287. This document indicates that Thomas was involved in legal proceedings during that period, emphasizing the established use of the name by the 13th century.
Another historical reference appears in the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire dated 1379, where a Johannes Worrall is listed. This form of taxation required the listing of householders, and Johannes' inclusion provides another instance of the surname in use during the late medieval period.
In addition to these records, the village of Worrall in South Yorkshire might have contributed to the perpetuation of the surname. The locality further affirms the geographic nature of the surname, with the village's name likely influencing or being influenced by the family name.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname. Sir Alfred Worrall (1869-1923) was an Englishman known for his contributions to engineering and industry during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Another significant bearer of the name was George Worrall, a famed 18th-century cartographer whose detailed maps of Cheshire contributed immensely to the understanding of the area.
The name also appears in artistic circles; painter Harry Worrall (1894-1979) made a name for himself in the early 20th century with his distinctive landscape paintings. Meanwhile, in the realm of politics, Sarah Worrall, active in the late 19th century, was a pioneering figure in the women's suffrage movement in England, advocating vigorously for women's rights.
By the time of the English Renaissance, William Worrall, a religious scholar born in 1570 and deceased in 1641, had made significant contributions to theological debates and publications of that era, leaving a marked influence on the religious discourse of his time.
Through diverse representations in legal, geographical, intellectual, and artistic records, the surname Worrall showcases a rich tapestry of history and significant societal contributions across centuries. Its origins in local English topography and the notable individuals connected to the name reflect the enduring heritage and varied impact of Worrall throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Worrall
Among Census respondents with the surname Worrall, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Worrall 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 Worrall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 1,706
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 61
- Two or more races3.2% · 59
- Black or African American0.6% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Worrall
Worrall 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
#15,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,881
+74 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 542 places
2020
#15,296
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,847
-34 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Up 255 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,009 | 1,807 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,551 | 1,881 | 0.64 | +74 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 542 places |
| 2020 | #15,296 | 1,847 | 0.62 | -34 bearers (-1.8%) | Up 255 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 Worrall 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 | #15,551 | #15,296 | 1.6% |
| Count | 1,881 | 1,847 | -1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.62 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Worrall bearers went from 1,881 to 1,847 (-1.8% change). The surname moved up 255 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,551 to #15,296.
FAQ
Worrall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Worrall?
Name Census estimates that about 2,118 living Americans carry the surname Worrall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,829 residents.
How common is Worrall?
Worrall ranks #15,296 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,847 people with the surname Worrall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Worrall.
Has Worrall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Worrall went from 1,881 recorded bearers to 1,847. That is a decrease of 34 (-1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,551 to #15,296.
What does the Census say about the background of Worrall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Worrall, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Worrall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (1,706 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Worrall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Worrall (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 Worrall mean?
A surname derived from a place name referring to someone from the village of Worall or Worall Hill. 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 Worrall (0.62 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 Worrall?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Worrall at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.