2000
#1,078
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 29,634
First available Census row
Per 100,000 10.99
Uncommon Last name
Minor
Derived from the Middle English word "minor," indicating a person of lower rank or status, or a younger person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 34,459 Americans carry the last name Minor. That puts it at #1,146 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 10.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 9,947 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Minor 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 Minor with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
34K
1 in 9,947
Census rank
#1,146
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
10.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
30K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 30,050 bearers of the surname Minor in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 10.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1146th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Minor, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Minor
The surname Minor originated in England, deriving from the Middle English term "minor," meaning a person who was under legal age or in a subordinate position. This name likely arose as an occupational surname, referring to a servant or someone in a lower social rank.
The name Minor can be traced back to the 13th century in various English records and documents. One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Richard le Minor, who was mentioned in the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire in 1272.
Minor is also believed to have connections to certain place names in England, such as Minor Marsh in Worcestershire and Minor's Green in Buckinghamshire. These locations may have played a role in the development and spread of the surname.
During the 14th century, the name Minor appeared in various forms, including Mynor, Mynour, and Menour, reflecting the spelling variations common in that era.
One notable individual bearing the surname Minor was John Minor, a 16th-century English theologian and scholar who lived from approximately 1508 to 1570. He was renowned for his academic contributions and served as the master of the prestigious Eton College.
In the 17th century, Thomas Minor (1608-1690) was a prominent English Puritan minister and author who played a significant role in the religious and intellectual life of his time.
Another notable figure was Stephen Minor (1690-1770), an English mathematician and astronomer who made valuable contributions to the field of celestial mechanics.
In the 19th century, Robert Crisp Minor (1839-1904) was a distinguished English architect known for his work on several churches and public buildings in London.
William Chester Minor (1834-1920), an American surgeon and lexicographer, gained recognition for his substantial contributions to the Oxford English Dictionary while confined to a mental asylum.
The surname Minor has a rich history, spanning centuries and reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne it. Its origins can be traced back to medieval England, where it emerged as an occupational surname, eventually spreading to various regions and leaving an indelible mark on various fields, including academia, religion, science, and architecture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Minor
Among Census respondents with the surname Minor, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Hispanic (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Minor 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 Minor surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White51.9% · 15,594
- Black or African American36.4% · 10,929
- Hispanic or Latino5.7% · 1,712
- Two or more races4.6% · 1,391
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 261
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 163
Timeline
Historical Census data for Minor
Minor 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
#1,145
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,702
+1,068 bearers (+3.6%)
Per 100,000 10.41
Rank movement Down 67 places
2020
#1,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 30,050
-652 bearers (-2.1%)
Per 100,000 10.05
Rank movement Down 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,078 | 29,634 | 10.99 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,145 | 30,702 | 10.41 | +1,068 bearers (+3.6%) | Down 67 places |
| 2020 | #1,146 | 30,050 | 10.05 | -652 bearers (-2.1%) | Down 1 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 Minor 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 | #1,145 | #1,146 | -0.1% |
| Count | 30,702 | 30,050 | -2.1% |
| Per 100K | 10.41 | 10.05 | -3.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Minor bearers went from 30,702 to 30,050 (-2.1% change). The surname moved down 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,145 to #1,146.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Minor
FAQ
Minor surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Minor?
Name Census estimates that about 34,459 living Americans carry the surname Minor. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 9,947 residents.
How common is Minor?
Minor ranks #1,146 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 10.05 per 100,000 residents, which is about 10 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 30,050 people with the surname Minor. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (34,459), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 10.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 10.05 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 10 of them to have the surname Minor.
Has Minor become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Minor went from 30,702 recorded bearers to 30,050. That is a decrease of 652 (-2.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,145 to #1,146.
What does the Census say about the background of Minor?
Among Census respondents with the surname Minor, the largest self-reported group is White at 51.9%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Minor in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.9% (15,594 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Minor appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (51.9%), Black (36.4%), Hispanic (5.7%). 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 Minor (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 Minor mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "minor," indicating a person of lower rank or status, or a younger person. 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 Minor (10.05 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 are called Minor?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Minor on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.