2000
#1,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,552
First available Census row
Per 100,000 8.36
Uncommon Last name
Ivey
From an English surname, likely referring to someone who lived near a yew tree or near a yew wood.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 25,692 Americans carry the last name Ivey. That puts it at #1,562 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.50 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 13,341 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ivey 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 Ivey with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
26K
1 in 13,341
Census rank
#1,562
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
22K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 22,405 bearers of the surname Ivey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.50 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1562nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ivey, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ivey
The surname Ivey is of English origin, deriving from the Old English personal name "Ive" or "Ive," which itself comes from the Germanic root "Ivo" or "Iwo." This name has been traced back to the 11th century in various forms, such as Ive, Ive, Ivey, Ivie, and Ivy.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname Ivey dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Ive" and "Iue." This comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror, provides valuable insights into the distribution of surnames during that era.
In the 12th century, the surname Ivey can be found in various historical records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, where it appears as "Ive" in 1195. The name was also documented in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1212 as "Iva."
During the 13th century, the surname Ivey was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was William Ivey, a landowner in Dorset, mentioned in the Feet of Fines records in 1236. Another was John Ivey, a resident of Oxfordshire, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of 1273.
The 14th century saw the emergence of various spellings of the surname, including "Ive," "Yvey," and "Ivye." One notable bearer of the name during this period was Thomas Ivey, a member of the clergy in Somerset, who was mentioned in the Bishop's Registers in 1349.
In the 15th century, the surname Ivey continued to appear in historical records across England. One example is Walter Ivey, a landowner in Wiltshire, whose name is recorded in the Feet of Fines records of 1428.
The 16th century brought forth several prominent individuals with the surname Ivey. One such figure was William Ivey, a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol, who lived from around 1530 to 1595. Another was John Ivey, a landowner in Gloucestershire, born in 1558 and mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1628.
Moving into the 17th century, the surname Ivey remained widespread across various regions of England. One notable bearer was Richard Ivey, a member of the English Parliament who represented Heytesbury in Wiltshire from 1640 to 1648.
The 18th century saw the surname Ivey continue to be well-established in England, with various families bearing the name. One example is John Ivey, a wealthy landowner in Oxfordshire, who was born in 1712 and died in 1783.
In the 19th century, the surname Ivey was represented by several influential figures. One such individual was John Ivey, a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was born in 1782. Another was William Ivey, a renowned architect and surveyor who lived from 1811 to 1888 and designed several notable buildings in London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ivey
Among Census respondents with the surname Ivey, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Ivey 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 Ivey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.8% · 15,407
- Black or African American22.0% · 4,922
- Two or more races4.5% · 999
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 757
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 181
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 139
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ivey
Ivey 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
#1,546
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 23,263
+711 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 7.89
Rank movement Down 94 places
2020
#1,562
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,405
-858 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 7.50
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,452 | 22,552 | 8.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,546 | 23,263 | 7.89 | +711 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 94 places |
| 2020 | #1,562 | 22,405 | 7.50 | -858 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 16 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 Ivey 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 | #1,546 | #1,562 | -1.0% |
| Count | 23,263 | 22,405 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 7.89 | 7.50 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ivey bearers went from 23,263 to 22,405 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,546 to #1,562.
FAQ
Ivey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ivey?
Name Census estimates that about 25,692 living Americans carry the surname Ivey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 13,341 residents.
How common is Ivey?
Ivey ranks #1,562 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.50 per 100,000 residents, which is about 7 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 22,405 people with the surname Ivey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (25,692), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.5 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.50 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 7 of them to have the surname Ivey.
Has Ivey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ivey went from 23,263 recorded bearers to 22,405. That is a decrease of 858 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,546 to #1,562.
What does the Census say about the background of Ivey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ivey, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.8%. The next largest groups are Black (22.0%) and Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Ivey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.8% (15,407 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ivey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.8%), Black (22.0%), Two or More Races (4.5%). 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 Ivey (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 Ivey mean?
From an English surname, likely referring to someone who lived near a yew tree or near a yew wood. 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 Ivey (7.50 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 Ivey?
You can see how many people have the last name Ivey on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.