2000
#73,154
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 247
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Ainge
Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "aged" or "old," likely referring to an elderly person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 304 Americans carry the last name Ainge. That puts it at #77,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,127,481 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ainge 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 Ainge with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
304
1 in 1,127,481
Census rank
#77,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
265
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 265 bearers of the surname Ainge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 77921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ainge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ainge
The surname AINGE is of English origin, believed to have originated in the county of Yorkshire during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place name, possibly from the village of Aing or Ainge near Skipton in West Yorkshire.
The earliest known record of the surname AINGE dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various forms such as Aynge, Aynghe, and Ayngges. These early spellings reflect the evolution of the name over time, as surnames were often spelled phonetically in those days.
One of the earliest documented instances of the AINGE surname can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax returns of 1379, which recorded a Richard Aynge residing in the village of Kettlewell. This provides evidence that the name had established roots in the Yorkshire region by the late 14th century.
During the 16th century, the AINGE surname appears in several historical records, including the Parish Registers of Yorkshire. Notable bearers of the name from this period include John Aynge, who was baptized in Kirklington in 1567, and Robert Aynge, whose marriage to Elizabeth Browne was recorded in Topcliffe in 1590.
In the 17th century, the AINGE family expanded their presence beyond Yorkshire, with records showing instances of the name in other parts of England. One notable figure was William Ainge, a prominent merchant and landowner born in Doncaster in 1632.
The 18th century saw several AINGE individuals achieve notable positions, including Reverend John Ainge (1707-1784), who served as the vicar of Coxwold in North Yorkshire, and William Ainge (1745-1815), a respected landowner and farmer in the village of Kirkbymoorside.
As the AINGE surname spread across England, it also found its way to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. In the 19th century, James Ainge (1801-1859), a farmer from Yorkshire, emigrated to Canada and settled in the province of Ontario, becoming one of the earliest bearers of the name in North America.
Throughout its history, the AINGE surname has been associated with various professions and fields, from clergy and landowners to merchants and farmers. While not as widely recognized as some other English surnames, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and a strong connection to its Yorkshire roots.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ainge
Among Census respondents with the surname Ainge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Ainge 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 Ainge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 242
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 6
- Two or more races1.1% · 3
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ainge
Ainge 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
#76,533
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 251
+4 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 3,379 places
2020
#77,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 265
+14 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 1,388 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #73,154 | 247 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #76,533 | 251 | 0.09 | +4 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 3,379 places |
| 2020 | #77,921 | 265 | 0.09 | +14 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 1,388 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 Ainge 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 | #76,533 | #77,921 | -1.8% |
| Count | 251 | 265 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.09 | -1.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ainge bearers went from 251 to 265 (+5.6% change). The surname moved down 1,388 positions in the national ranking, going from #76,533 to #77,921.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ainge
FAQ
Ainge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ainge?
Name Census estimates that about 304 living Americans carry the surname Ainge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,127,481 residents.
How common is Ainge?
Ainge ranks #77,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 265 people with the surname Ainge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (304), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Ainge.
Has Ainge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ainge went from 251 recorded bearers to 265. That is an increase of 14 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #76,533 to #77,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Ainge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ainge, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%). 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 Ainge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (242 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ainge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%). 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 Ainge (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 Ainge mean?
Derived from a Middle English nickname meaning "aged" or "old," likely referring to an elderly person. 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 Ainge (0.09 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 surname Ainge?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.