2000
#1,669
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,648
First available Census row
Per 100,000 7.28
Uncommon Last name
Posey
A French toponymic surname derived from a place of origin, possibly referring to someone living near a well or spring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 22,420 Americans carry the last name Posey. That puts it at #1,793 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,288 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Posey 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.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,288
Census rank
#1,793
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
20K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,551 bearers of the surname Posey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1793rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Posey, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Posey
The surname POSEY originated in England, tracing its roots back to the early medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old French word "poser," which means "to rest" or "to pause." This suggests that the name may have initially been given to someone who was known for their calm and composed demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name POSEY can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, dated 1221, which mention a William Poser. It is likely that the name underwent various spelling variations over the centuries, such as Pocer, Poseye, and Posie, before settling into its modern form.
In the 14th century, the POSEY surname appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls of Oxfordshire, indicating its presence in the region. During this time, the name may have also been associated with certain place names, such as Posey Green in Oxfordshire or Posey Farm in Wiltshire.
One notable figure bearing the POSEY surname was Sir John Posey (c. 1545-1612), an English soldier and Member of Parliament who served under Queen Elizabeth I. Another was Thomas Posey (1750-1818), a Revolutionary War officer and the third Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky.
In the literary realm, the name POSEY gained prominence through the works of Edgar Allan Poe. His short story "The Posey Case" (1845) featured a character named Monsieur G. Auguste Dupin, who was inspired by the real-life Parisian detective Eugène François Vidocq (1775-1857).
Other historical figures with the POSEY surname include:
1. Alexander Posey (1873-1908), a renowned poet, journalist, and humorist from the Muscogee Creek Nation.
2. John Posey (1786-1857), a U.S. Representative from Virginia.
3. David Posey (1770-1836), a U.S. Representative from Kentucky.
4. Carnot Posey (1818-1863), a Confederate general during the American Civil War.
5. Sarah Posey (1857-1939), an American teacher and activist for women's suffrage.
While the POSEY surname may have evolved over time, its enduring presence throughout history reflects its deep-rooted English origins and the notable individuals who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Posey
Among Census respondents with the surname Posey, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Posey 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 Posey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.4% · 13,559
- Black or African American21.4% · 4,177
- Two or more races4.8% · 931
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 561
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 218
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 105
Timeline
Historical Census data for Posey
Posey 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
#1,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 20,263
+615 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 6.87
Rank movement Down 104 places
2020
#1,793
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,551
-712 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 6.54
Rank movement Down 20 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,669 | 19,648 | 7.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,773 | 20,263 | 6.87 | +615 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 104 places |
| 2020 | #1,793 | 19,551 | 6.54 | -712 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 20 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 Posey 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 | #1,773 | #1,793 | -1.1% |
| Count | 20,263 | 19,551 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 6.87 | 6.54 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Posey bearers went from 20,263 to 19,551 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 20 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,773 to #1,793.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Posey
FAQ
Posey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Posey?
Name Census estimates that about 22,420 living Americans carry the surname Posey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,288 residents.
How common is Posey?
Posey ranks #1,793 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.54 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 19,551 people with the surname Posey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (22,420), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.54 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 Posey.
Has Posey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Posey went from 20,263 recorded bearers to 19,551. That is a decrease of 712 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,773 to #1,793.
What does the Census say about the background of Posey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Posey, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.4%. The next largest groups are Black (21.4%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Posey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.4% (13,559 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Posey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.4%), Black (21.4%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Posey (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 Posey mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from a place of origin, possibly referring to someone living near a well or spring. 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 Posey (6.54 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 Posey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.