2000
#1,172
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,383
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.15
Uncommon Last name
Arthur
Originally a Celtic surname meaning "bear," derived from the Old Welsh name "Arth" or "Arthwr," meaning "bear-man."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 31,196 Americans carry the last name Arthur. That puts it at #1,264 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 9.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 10,987 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arthur 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 Arthur with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
31K
1 in 10,987
Census rank
#1,264
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
9.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
27K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 27,204 bearers of the surname Arthur in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 9.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1264th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arthur, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arthur
The surname Arthur has its origins in the ancient Celtic British culture, dating back to the 5th and 6th centuries AD. It is believed to have derived from the Roman name "Artorius" or the Celtic words "artos" meaning bear and "rigos" meaning king or warrior. The name was associated with the legendary King Arthur, who was said to have ruled over Britain during the late 5th and early 6th centuries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Arthur can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Arturus," "Arthurus," and "Artur."
In the 12th century, the name gained popularity due to the widespread circulation of the Arthurian legends, which were compiled and romanticized by authors like Geoffrey of Monmouth and Chrétien de Troyes. These stories featured the exploits of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table, solidifying the name's association with chivalry and heroism.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Arthur was particularly prevalent in Cornwall and Wales, regions with strong Celtic cultural ties. Notable individuals with the surname include Sir Thomas Arthur (1508-1586), a Welsh politician and landowner, and Sir Daniel Arthur (1609-1676), a Welsh soldier and Member of Parliament.
In the 16th century, the Arthur surname appeared in various place names and locations across England, such as Arthurstown in Northamptonshire and Arthursleigh in Warwickshire, further indicating its widespread adoption.
Other notable historical figures with the surname Arthur include:
1. Chester A. Arthur (1829-1886), the 21st President of the United States.
2. Sir George Arthur (1784-1854), a British military officer and colonial administrator who served as Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada (present-day Ontario).
3. Julia Arthur (1869-1950), an American stage actress renowned for her performances in Shakespearean plays.
4. Robert Arthur (1909-1969), an American writer and editor best known for his work on the Alfred Hitchcock Presents anthology series.
5. John Arthur (1880-1952), a British actor and film director who worked extensively in the silent film era.
The surname Arthur has endured through the centuries, carrying with it a rich history and associations with legendary figures, literary works, and cultural significance in various regions of the British Isles and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arthur
Among Census respondents with the surname Arthur, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Arthur 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 Arthur surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.5% · 19,732
- Black or African American17.2% · 4,667
- Two or more races3.9% · 1,068
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 887
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.0% · 540
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 310
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arthur
Arthur 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
#1,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 28,102
+719 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 9.53
Rank movement Down 75 places
2020
#1,264
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 27,204
-898 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 9.10
Rank movement Down 17 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,172 | 27,383 | 10.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,247 | 28,102 | 9.53 | +719 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 75 places |
| 2020 | #1,264 | 27,204 | 9.10 | -898 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 17 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 Arthur 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 | #1,247 | #1,264 | -1.4% |
| Count | 28,102 | 27,204 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 9.53 | 9.10 | -4.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arthur bearers went from 28,102 to 27,204 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 17 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,247 to #1,264.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Arthur
FAQ
Arthur surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arthur?
Name Census estimates that about 31,196 living Americans carry the surname Arthur. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 10,987 residents.
How common is Arthur?
Arthur ranks #1,264 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 9.10 per 100,000 residents, which is about 9 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 27,204 people with the surname Arthur. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (31,196), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 9.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 9.10 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 9 of them to have the surname Arthur.
Has Arthur become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arthur went from 28,102 recorded bearers to 27,204. That is a decrease of 898 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,247 to #1,264.
What does the Census say about the background of Arthur?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arthur, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.5%. The next largest groups are Black (17.2%) 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 Arthur in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.5% (19,732 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arthur appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.5%), Black (17.2%), 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 Arthur (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 Arthur mean?
Originally a Celtic surname meaning "bear," derived from the Old Welsh name "Arth" or "Arthwr," meaning "bear-man." 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 Arthur (9.10 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 Americans have the surname Arthur?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.