2000
#29,570
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 752
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.28
Very Rare Last name
Band
An occupational surname referring to someone who made bands or hoops.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 938 Americans carry the last name Band. That puts it at #30,557 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 365,410 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Band 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 Band with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
938
1 in 365,410
Census rank
#30,557
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
818
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 818 bearers of the surname Band in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30557th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Band, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Band
The surname BAND has its origins in medieval England, originating in the Anglo-Saxon period (5th to 11th centuries AD). It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "bend," meaning a thin strip or ribbon, potentially referring to a ribbon maker or someone who lived near a bend in a river or road.
In the Domesday Book, a great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are records of individuals bearing the name BAND or similar spellings such as "Bende" or "Bande." These early mentions suggest the name was well-established in various parts of England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the BAND surname is found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mention a Richard Band. Another early example is Richard le Bande, who is listed in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1212.
The surname BAND is also connected to various place names in England, such as Band Green in Yorkshire and Band Pool in Worcestershire. These place names may have influenced the adoption or spread of the surname in those regions.
Notable individuals with the surname BAND throughout history include John Band (1586-1648), an English clergyman and author; Cuthbert Band (1630-1716), an English Roman Catholic priest and controversialist; and William Band (1768-1853), an English cricketer who played for Hampshire.
In the 16th century, the BAND surname appeared in the records of the Visitations of Essex, a series of heraldic surveys conducted by officers of the College of Arms. Thomas Band of Essex was listed in the 1558 Visitation.
Another noteworthy figure was Sir Ralph Band (1516-1559), an English lawyer and judge who served as Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas under Queen Mary I. He was born in Northamptonshire and played a significant role in the legal system during the Tudor period.
In the 18th century, Robert Band (1720-1767) was a renowned English clockmaker and watchmaker from London, known for his skillful craftsmanship and innovative designs.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Band
Among Census respondents with the surname Band, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Band 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 Band surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.8% · 694
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 41
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.8% · 39
- Black or African American3.1% · 25
- Two or more races1.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Band
Band 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
#33,894
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 671
-81 bearers (-10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Down 4,324 places
2020
#30,557
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 818
+147 bearers (+21.9%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Up 3,337 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #29,570 | 752 | 0.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #33,894 | 671 | 0.23 | -81 bearers (-10.8%) | Down 4,324 places |
| 2020 | #30,557 | 818 | 0.27 | +147 bearers (+21.9%) | Up 3,337 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 Band 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 | #33,894 | #30,557 | 9.8% |
| Count | 671 | 818 | 21.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.23 | 0.27 | 19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Band bearers went from 671 to 818 (+21.9% change). The surname moved up 3,337 positions in the national ranking, going from #33,894 to #30,557.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Band
FAQ
Band surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Band?
Name Census estimates that about 938 living Americans carry the surname Band. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 365,410 residents.
How common is Band?
Band ranks #30,557 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 818 people with the surname Band. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (938), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Band.
Has Band become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Band went from 671 recorded bearers to 818. That is an increase of 147 (+21.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #33,894 to #30,557.
What does the Census say about the background of Band?
Among Census respondents with the surname Band, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Band in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.8% (694 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Band appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.8%), Hispanic (5.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Band (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 Band mean?
An occupational surname referring to someone who made bands or hoops. 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 Band (0.27 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 Band?
See how many people are called Band on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.