2000
#1,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.99
Uncommon Last name
Link
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or operated links for chain mail armor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 24,093 Americans carry the last name Link. That puts it at #1,676 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 7.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 14,226 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Link 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 Link with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
24K
1 in 14,226
Census rank
#1,676
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
7.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
21K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 21,010 bearers of the surname Link in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 7.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1676th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Link, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Link
The surname LINK is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the Old English word "linc," which referred to a ridge or rising ground. This name likely emerged as a topographic surname, describing someone who lived near or on a ridge or hill.
The earliest recorded use of the surname LINK can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of England, including Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk. In some instances, the name was also spelled as "Lynke" or "Lincke," reflecting the variations in pronunciation and spelling during that era.
One of the earliest documented references to the LINK surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which recorded landowners and taxpayers in England. The name was also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, indicating its widespread use across various parts of the country.
Notably, the LINK surname appeared in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. However, the precise entry and location are not definitively known.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the LINK surname. One of the earliest was John Link, a prominent English merchant and alderman in the city of London, who lived in the late 14th century. Another early figure was William Link, a member of the English Parliament who represented the county of Norfolk in the 1420s.
In the 16th century, Henry Link, born in 1522, was a renowned scholar and theologian who played a significant role in the English Reformation. He authored several influential works on religion and theology during his lifetime.
During the 17th century, the LINK surname was associated with the landed gentry in various parts of England. One notable family was the Links of Lincolnshire, who owned substantial estates and held positions of influence in local government and society.
In the 18th century, Samuel Link, born in 1745, was a renowned English naturalist and botanist. He made significant contributions to the study of plant life and is credited with discovering several new species of plants during his expeditions throughout the British Isles.
By the 19th century, the LINK surname had spread to other parts of the world, particularly through British emigration and colonization. Some notable individuals from this period include David Link, an English architect born in 1812, who designed several prominent buildings in London, and William Link, a British explorer and writer born in 1856, who documented his travels in Africa and Asia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Link
Among Census respondents with the surname Link, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Link 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 Link surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.5% · 18,602
- Black or African American4.4% · 926
- Two or more races3.2% · 677
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 569
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 161
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 75
Timeline
Historical Census data for Link
Link 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
#1,627
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 22,137
+584 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 7.50
Rank movement Down 93 places
2020
#1,676
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 21,010
-1,127 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 7.03
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,534 | 21,553 | 7.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,627 | 22,137 | 7.50 | +584 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 93 places |
| 2020 | #1,676 | 21,010 | 7.03 | -1,127 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 49 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 Link 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 | #1,627 | #1,676 | -3.0% |
| Count | 22,137 | 21,010 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 7.50 | 7.03 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Link bearers went from 22,137 to 21,010 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,627 to #1,676.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Link
FAQ
Link surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Link?
Name Census estimates that about 24,093 living Americans carry the surname Link. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 14,226 residents.
How common is Link?
Link ranks #1,676 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 7.03 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 21,010 people with the surname Link. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (24,093), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 7.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 7.03 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 Link.
Has Link become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Link went from 22,137 recorded bearers to 21,010. That is a decrease of 1,127 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,627 to #1,676.
What does the Census say about the background of Link?
Among Census respondents with the surname Link, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.5%. The next largest groups are Black (4.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Link in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.5% (18,602 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Link appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.5%), Black (4.4%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Link (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 Link mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who made or operated links for chain mail armor. 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 Link (7.03 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 Link?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.