2000
#8,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,445
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.28
Rare Last name
Player
An occupational surname for an actor, musician, or entertainer, or for someone who was playful or sporty.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,813 Americans carry the last name Player. That puts it at #9,387 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,891 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Player 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 Player with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.8K
1 in 89,891
Census rank
#9,387
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,325 bearers of the surname Player in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9387th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Player, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Player
The surname PLAYER originated in England during the Middle Ages, derived from the Old English word 'plegere', meaning 'one who plays'. This name was often bestowed upon individuals whose occupation involved performing or entertaining through various forms of play or games.
During the 13th century, the name was predominantly found in regions like Norfolk, Suffolk, and Essex, where it was commonly associated with travelling minstrels, jesters, and performers who roamed from town to town, providing entertainment at fairs, festivals, and royal courts.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name PLAYER can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1279, where a certain Walter le Player is mentioned as a resident of the village of Longstanton.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various historical records, such as the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire, where a John le Player was listed as a tenant in 1348.
During the late medieval period, the PLAYER surname gained recognition through individuals like William Player, a renowned composer and musician who served at the court of King Henry VIII in the early 16th century (c. 1490 - c. 1560).
Another notable figure bearing this surname was Sir Thomas Player (c. 1530 - 1586), a wealthy merchant and philanthropist from London, known for his generous contributions towards the establishment of educational institutions and charitable foundations.
In the 17th century, the PLAYER name gained prominence in various parts of England, including the county of Gloucestershire, where a family of landowners and gentry resided. One of their descendants, John Player (1639 - 1719), became a respected figure in the local community and served as a Justice of the Peace.
During the 18th century, the PLAYER surname was further spread across England, with notable individuals like Jonathan Player (1737 - 1808), a prominent clockmaker from the city of Bristol, whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by affluent clients.
Another significant figure from this era was Samuel Player (1758 - 1836), a successful merchant and entrepreneur from Liverpool, who played a pivotal role in the city's flourishing maritime trade and commerce.
As the centuries progressed, the PLAYER surname continued to be associated with various professions and occupations, from artists and musicians to businessmen and professionals, reflecting the diverse talents and pursuits of those who carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Player
Among Census respondents with the surname Player, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Player 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 Player surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White57.2% · 1,902
- Black or African American34.6% · 1,151
- Two or more races3.7% · 123
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Player
Player 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
#9,033
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,617
+172 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 1.23
Rank movement Down 264 places
2020
#9,387
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,325
-292 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.11
Rank movement Down 354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,769 | 3,445 | 1.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,033 | 3,617 | 1.23 | +172 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 264 places |
| 2020 | #9,387 | 3,325 | 1.11 | -292 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 354 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 Player 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 | #9,033 | #9,387 | -3.9% |
| Count | 3,617 | 3,325 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.23 | 1.11 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Player bearers went from 3,617 to 3,325 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 354 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,033 to #9,387.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Player
FAQ
Player surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Player?
Name Census estimates that about 3,813 living Americans carry the surname Player. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,891 residents.
How common is Player?
Player ranks #9,387 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,325 people with the surname Player. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,813), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Player.
Has Player become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Player went from 3,617 recorded bearers to 3,325. That is a decrease of 292 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,033 to #9,387.
What does the Census say about the background of Player?
Among Census respondents with the surname Player, the largest self-reported group is White at 57.2%. The next largest groups are Black (34.6%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Player in the 2020 Census, accounting for 57.2% (1,902 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Player appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (57.2%), Black (34.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Player (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 Player mean?
An occupational surname for an actor, musician, or entertainer, or for someone who was playful or sporty. 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 Player (1.11 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 last name Player?
Want to know how common the surname Player is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.