2000
#28,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 803
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.30
Rare Last name
Austen
An English surname derived from the Old English words "easti" meaning east and "tun" meaning estate or town.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,083 Americans carry the last name Austen. That puts it at #27,108 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.32 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 316,486 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Austen 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 Austen with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 316,486
Census rank
#27,108
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
944
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 944 bearers of the surname Austen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.32 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27108th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Austen, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Austen
The surname Austen is of English origin, derived from the ancient Germanic name "Austin". It is believed to have originated from the Old English word "Aust", meaning "east" or "rising sun", which was a common name prefix in the early medieval period.
The name Austen first appeared in historical records during the 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and their properties commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Austen surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1176, where a certain Richard de Austen is listed as a landowner. The name was initially spelled in various ways, such as Auste, Austyn, and Austeyn, before settling into its modern form.
The Austen family was particularly prominent in the county of Kent, where they owned lands and estates in the village of Austen, near Tenterden. This place name likely contributed to the surname's establishment and spread.
Notable individuals bearing the Austen surname include:
1. Thomas Austen (c. 1370 - c. 1420), an English politician and member of the House of Commons.
2. Sir Robert Austen (c. 1580 - 1637), an English merchant and politician who served as Sheriff of London.
3. Jane Austen (1775 - 1817), the renowned English novelist known for her works such as "Pride and Prejudice", "Sense and Sensibility", and "Emma".
4. Sir Francis Austen (1774 - 1865), a British naval officer and the younger brother of Jane Austen.
5. Ralph Austen (1809 - 1876), an English naturalist and writer, best known for his work on the flora and fauna of the New Forest.
Throughout its history, the Austen surname has been associated with prominent figures in various fields, including literature, politics, and the military. Its enduring legacy is a testament to the rich cultural heritage of England and the lasting impact of its historical surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Austen
Among Census respondents with the surname Austen, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Austen 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 Austen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 788
- Black or African American5.6% · 53
- Two or more races4.6% · 43
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.1% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Austen
Austen 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
#29,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 789
-14 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 1,705 places
2020
#27,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 944
+155 bearers (+19.6%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Up 2,685 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,088 | 803 | 0.30 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,793 | 789 | 0.27 | -14 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 1,705 places |
| 2020 | #27,108 | 944 | 0.32 | +155 bearers (+19.6%) | Up 2,685 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 Austen 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 | #29,793 | #27,108 | 9.0% |
| Count | 789 | 944 | 19.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.32 | 17.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Austen bearers went from 789 to 944 (+19.6% change). The surname moved up 2,685 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,793 to #27,108.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Austen
FAQ
Austen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Austen?
Name Census estimates that about 1,083 living Americans carry the surname Austen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 316,486 residents.
How common is Austen?
Austen ranks #27,108 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.32 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 944 people with the surname Austen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,083), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.32 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.32 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 Austen.
Has Austen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Austen went from 789 recorded bearers to 944. That is an increase of 155 (+19.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #29,793 to #27,108.
What does the Census say about the background of Austen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Austen, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Austen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (788 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Austen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Black (5.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Austen (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 Austen mean?
An English surname derived from the Old English words "easti" meaning east and "tun" meaning estate or town. 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 Austen (0.32 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 share the surname Austen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.