2000
#5,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,319
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.34
Rare Last name
Strait
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a narrow channel of water or a strait.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,063 Americans carry the last name Strait. That puts it at #5,459 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,528 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Strait 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
7.1K
1 in 48,528
Census rank
#5,459
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,159 bearers of the surname Strait in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5459th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Strait, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Strait
The surname STRAIT is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French word "estrait" meaning narrow or close. It is believed to have originated in England during the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many Norman French settlers arrived and established themselves in various parts of the country.
The earliest recorded instance of the surname STRAIT can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Estreit" in the county of Lincolnshire. This suggests that the name was already in use among the Norman nobility or landowners who had settled in this region.
Throughout the medieval period, the STRAIT surname was found primarily in the counties of Lincolnshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk, areas with strong Norman influence. The name was often associated with individuals living near narrow passages, straits, or confined spaces, reflecting the original meaning of the word.
One notable historical figure bearing the STRAIT surname was Sir John Strait, a prominent English soldier and knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses during the 15th century. He was born around 1420 and served under the House of York, distinguishing himself in several battles against the Lancastrians.
Another individual of note was William Strait, a merchant and shipping magnate from Norfolk, who lived in the late 16th century. He played a significant role in the establishment of trade routes between England and the Mediterranean, and his ships were known for their safe passage through narrow straits and waterways.
In the 17th century, the STRAIT surname gained prominence in the American colonies, with several individuals bearing this name among the early settlers. One such person was Thomas Strait, born in 1630 in Lincolnshire, England, who later emigrated to Massachusetts Bay Colony and became a prominent landowner and farmer.
Another noteworthy figure was Elizabeth Strait, a Quaker preacher and activist born in 1682 in Pennsylvania. She was known for her advocacy of women's rights and her efforts in promoting religious tolerance and social reform during the colonial era.
In the 19th century, the STRAIT surname was further disseminated across the United States, with individuals bearing this name playing important roles in various fields. One such person was Richard Strait, a renowned architect born in 1820 in Ohio, whose designs left a lasting impact on the architectural landscape of several American cities.
Throughout its history, the STRAIT surname has maintained its connection to its original meaning, often associated with individuals living near or traversing narrow passages, straits, or confined spaces. Its enduring presence across different regions and time periods serves as a testament to the rich tapestry of cultural influences that have shaped the English language and its surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Strait
Among Census respondents with the surname Strait, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Strait 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 Strait surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 5,316
- Black or African American5.3% · 328
- Two or more races3.7% · 229
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 200
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 46
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 40
Timeline
Historical Census data for Strait
Strait 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
#5,352
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,505
+186 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 2.21
Rank movement Down 256 places
2020
#5,459
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,159
-346 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 2.06
Rank movement Down 107 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,096 | 6,319 | 2.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,352 | 6,505 | 2.21 | +186 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 256 places |
| 2020 | #5,459 | 6,159 | 2.06 | -346 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 107 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 Strait 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 | #5,352 | #5,459 | -2.0% |
| Count | 6,505 | 6,159 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.21 | 2.06 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Strait bearers went from 6,505 to 6,159 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 107 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,352 to #5,459.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Strait
FAQ
Strait surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Strait?
Name Census estimates that about 7,063 living Americans carry the surname Strait. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,528 residents.
How common is Strait?
Strait ranks #5,459 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,159 people with the surname Strait. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,063), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Strait.
Has Strait become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Strait went from 6,505 recorded bearers to 6,159. That is a decrease of 346 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,352 to #5,459.
What does the Census say about the background of Strait?
Among Census respondents with the surname Strait, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Black (5.3%) 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 Strait in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (5,316 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Strait appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Black (5.3%), 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 Strait (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 Strait mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived near a narrow channel of water or a strait. 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 Strait (2.06 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 Strait?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Strait, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.