2000
#3,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,790
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.63
Uncommon Last name
Searcy
Derived from a place name meaning "sere" or "dry" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 11,318 Americans carry the last name Searcy. That puts it at #3,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.30 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 30,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Searcy 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 Searcy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
11K
1 in 30,284
Census rank
#3,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
9.9K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 9,870 bearers of the surname Searcy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.30 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Searcy, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Searcy
The surname Searcy has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "sār" meaning "sore" or "painful" and "cȳ" meaning "dwelling" or "enclosure." This suggests that the name may have originated from a place name referring to a settlement or homestead associated with some form of hardship or difficulty.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Sarci" and is listed as a place name in Lincolnshire. This indicates that the name was already in use as a locational surname by the 11th century.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various records with spellings such as "Sarcy," "Sarcey," and "Sarsey." These variations likely reflect the inconsistencies in spelling and pronunciation common in that era before standardization became more widespread.
In the 14th century, the surname Searcy was documented in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire, where it was recorded as "Sarcy." This provides further evidence of the name's longevity and its association with different regions of England.
One notable historical figure bearing the surname Searcy was Sir Robert Searcy, a prominent English politician and landowner who lived in the late 15th century. He served as a Member of Parliament for Nottinghamshire and was recognized for his contributions to local governance.
Another individual of note was Thomas Searcy, a 17th-century English clergyman and author. Born in 1607, he was known for his religious writings and served as the Rector of Bringhurst in Leicestershire.
In the 18th century, the name Searcy was associated with the village of Searcy in Lincolnshire, which likely derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname itself. This further solidifies the connection between the name and its geographical origins.
John Searcy, born in 1720, was a notable figure in the American colonies. He emigrated from England to Virginia and later fought in the Revolutionary War, serving as a lieutenant in the Continental Army.
During the 19th century, the Searcy surname gained prominence in Arkansas, where a town called Searcy was established in 1837. This town was named after Richard Searcy, an early settler and landowner in the region, born in 1797.
These examples illustrate the rich history and widespread distribution of the surname Searcy, which has been present in various parts of England and beyond for several centuries, with notable individuals bearing the name contributing to different aspects of society throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Searcy
Among Census respondents with the surname Searcy, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Searcy 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 Searcy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White60.8% · 5,999
- Black or African American29.9% · 2,948
- Two or more races4.6% · 452
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 391
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 36
Timeline
Historical Census data for Searcy
Searcy 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
#3,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,243
+453 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 3.47
Rank movement Down 147 places
2020
#3,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,870
-373 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 3.30
Rank movement Down 35 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,343 | 9,790 | 3.63 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,490 | 10,243 | 3.47 | +453 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 147 places |
| 2020 | #3,525 | 9,870 | 3.30 | -373 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 35 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 Searcy 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 | #3,490 | #3,525 | -1.0% |
| Count | 10,243 | 9,870 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 3.47 | 3.30 | -4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Searcy bearers went from 10,243 to 9,870 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 35 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,490 to #3,525.
FAQ
Searcy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Searcy?
Name Census estimates that about 11,318 living Americans carry the surname Searcy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 30,284 residents.
How common is Searcy?
Searcy ranks #3,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.30 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 9,870 people with the surname Searcy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (11,318), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.3 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.30 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Searcy.
Has Searcy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Searcy went from 10,243 recorded bearers to 9,870. That is a decrease of 373 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,490 to #3,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Searcy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Searcy, the largest self-reported group is White at 60.8%. The next largest groups are Black (29.9%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Searcy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.8% (5,999 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Searcy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (60.8%), Black (29.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Searcy (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 Searcy mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "sere" or "dry" in Old English, referring to someone who lived there. 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 Searcy (3.30 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 common is the surname Searcy?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Searcy is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.