2000
#3,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,261
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.43
Uncommon Last name
Close
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "an enclosure" or "a narrow passage between buildings."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,284 Americans carry the last name Close. That puts it at #3,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,329 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Close 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 Close with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
10K
1 in 33,329
Census rank
#3,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.0K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,968 bearers of the surname Close in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Close, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Close
The surname Close originated in England, with earliest records dating back to the late 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "clos", meaning an enclosure or courtyard. The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked at an enclosed area or field.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Close surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a William le Clos. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records kept during the reign of King Edward I.
In the 14th century, the name was also found in other areas of England, such as Yorkshire and Gloucestershire. Variations in spelling included Cloos, Cloose, and Closse. The surname may have originated from a place name, such as Close in Derbyshire or Closes in Staffordshire.
A notable early bearer of the name was Robert Close, a 15th-century English clergyman who served as the Bishop of Carlisle from 1450 to 1452.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Close surname continued to appear in various records and documents across England. One example is John Close, a renowned English musician and composer who lived from around 1520 to 1597.
In the 18th century, the Close family established themselves as prominent landowners and gentry in Northamptonshire. Sir Henry Close (1753-1845) was a respected member of this family and served as a magistrate and Deputy Lieutenant of the county.
Another notable figure was Francis Close (1797-1882), an English Anglican clergyman and social reformer. He was a vocal advocate for the abolition of slavery and played a significant role in the establishment of the Church Missionary Society.
In the 19th century, the Close surname was also found in Scotland, where it was sometimes spelled Closs or Cluese. One notable Scottish bearer of the name was John Close (1816-1890), a minister and author who wrote extensively on religious topics.
As the Close surname spread across the British Isles and beyond, it continued to be associated with various professions, including farming, trade, and the clergy. The name's origins as a reference to an enclosure or courtyard have been retained throughout its long history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Close
Among Census respondents with the surname Close, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Close 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 Close surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.8% · 7,968
- Black or African American4.0% · 361
- Two or more races3.3% · 297
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 254
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 50
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 38
Timeline
Historical Census data for Close
Close 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
#3,739
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,474
+213 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 3.21
Rank movement Down 214 places
2020
#3,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,968
-506 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 3.00
Rank movement Down 115 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,525 | 9,261 | 3.43 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,739 | 9,474 | 3.21 | +213 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 214 places |
| 2020 | #3,854 | 8,968 | 3.00 | -506 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 115 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 Close 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 | #3,739 | #3,854 | -3.1% |
| Count | 9,474 | 8,968 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 3.21 | 3.00 | -6.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Close bearers went from 9,474 to 8,968 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 115 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,739 to #3,854.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Close
FAQ
Close surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Close?
Name Census estimates that about 10,284 living Americans carry the surname Close. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,329 residents.
How common is Close?
Close ranks #3,854 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.00 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,968 people with the surname Close. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,284), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.00 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Close.
Has Close become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Close went from 9,474 recorded bearers to 8,968. That is a decrease of 506 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,739 to #3,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Close?
Among Census respondents with the surname Close, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.8%. The next largest groups are Black (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Close in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.8% (7,968 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Close appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.8%), Black (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Close (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 Close mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "an enclosure" or "a narrow passage between buildings." 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 Close (3.00 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 Close?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.