2000
#9,456
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,155
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.17
Rare Last name
Raven
An English and Scottish surname derived from the black bird, indicating a person with dark hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,500 Americans carry the last name Raven. That puts it at #10,065 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.02 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,930 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Raven 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 Raven with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,930
Census rank
#10,065
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,052 bearers of the surname Raven in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.02 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10065th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Raven, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.6%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Raven
The surname Raven has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "hræfn," which means "raven," a type of black bird. This surname likely originated as a nickname for someone with dark hair or a swarthy complexion, resembling the raven's plumage.
In the Domesday Book, a historical record compiled in 1086 for William the Conqueror, there are several entries related to the name Raven or its variants. For instance, the name "Rauen" is mentioned in Suffolk, and "Rauene" is listed in Lincolnshire.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the Raven surname was Ralph Raven, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1195. Another early record is that of Roger Raven, who lived in Norfolk during the reign of King John, around 1200-1216.
The surname Raven can also be traced back to various place names in England, such as Ravenfield in Yorkshire, Ravenhall in Derbyshire, and Ravensden in Bedfordshire. These locations likely derived their names from the presence of ravens or raven-like birds in the area.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Raven surname. One of them was John Raven (1562-1622), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Christ's College, Cambridge. Another was Thomas Raven (1610-1676), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
Another notable bearer of the Raven surname was John James Raven (1833-1906), an English architect and businessman who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Aquarium and the Royal School of Mines.
In the literary realm, Julien Raven (1888-1972) was a British author and playwright known for his novels and plays set in the early 20th century.
Lastly, Bertram Raven (1926-2020) was an American psychologist renowned for his research on social power and interpersonal influence, including his formulation of the "bases of social power" theory.
These examples illustrate the long and diverse history of the Raven surname, which has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including clergy, academics, architects, authors, and psychologists.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Raven
Among Census respondents with the surname Raven, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.6%) and Hispanic (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Raven 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 Raven surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White65.5% · 2,000
- Black or African American22.6% · 690
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 178
- Two or more races4.3% · 130
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Raven
Raven 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
#9,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,327
+172 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 285 places
2020
#10,065
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,052
-275 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 1.02
Rank movement Down 324 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,456 | 3,155 | 1.17 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,741 | 3,327 | 1.13 | +172 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 285 places |
| 2020 | #10,065 | 3,052 | 1.02 | -275 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 324 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 Raven 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 | #9,741 | #10,065 | -3.3% |
| Count | 3,327 | 3,052 | -8.3% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.02 | -9.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Raven bearers went from 3,327 to 3,052 (-8.3% change). The surname moved down 324 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,741 to #10,065.
FAQ
Raven surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Raven?
Name Census estimates that about 3,500 living Americans carry the surname Raven. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,930 residents.
How common is Raven?
Raven ranks #10,065 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.02 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 3,052 people with the surname Raven. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,500), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.02 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.02 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 Raven.
Has Raven become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Raven went from 3,327 recorded bearers to 3,052. That is a decrease of 275 (-8.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,741 to #10,065.
What does the Census say about the background of Raven?
Among Census respondents with the surname Raven, the largest self-reported group is White at 65.5%. The next largest groups are Black (22.6%) and Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Raven in the 2020 Census, accounting for 65.5% (2,000 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Raven appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (65.5%), Black (22.6%), Hispanic (5.8%). 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 Raven (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 Raven mean?
An English and Scottish surname derived from the black bird, indicating a person with dark hair or complexion. 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 Raven (1.02 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 surname Raven?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.