2000
#14,604
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,869
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Struthers
A surname possibly derived from a place name related to the Old English word "streother," meaning marshy land or stream.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,979 Americans carry the last name Struthers. That puts it at #16,212 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.58 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 173,196 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Struthers 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 Struthers with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.0K
1 in 173,196
Census rank
#16,212
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,726 bearers of the surname Struthers in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.58 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16212th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Struthers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Struthers
The surname Struthers originated in Scotland, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word 'streother,' which means a boggy or marshy area covered in brushwood. This suggests that the name may have been a descriptive one, referring to someone who lived near or in a marshy area overgrown with brushwood.
The earliest known record of the name is found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where it appears as 'Strothir.' This was a list of Scottish landowners and nobles who were forced to swear fealty to King Edward I of England. Another early mention of the name is in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1357, where it is spelled as 'Strothyre.'
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various Scottish records, including the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland. For example, in 1483, a John Struthers is mentioned as a resident of Lanarkshire. In the 16th century, the spelling of the name became more consistent, with variations such as 'Struthers' and 'Struthir' being commonly used.
One of the earliest notable figures with the surname Struthers was William Struthers (1516-1570), who was a Scottish lawyer and judge. He served as the Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1565 to 1570. Another notable bearer of the name was John Struthers (1776-1853), a Scottish poet and journalist who was known for his contributions to Scottish literature.
In the 18th century, the Struthers family was prominent in the Scottish Borders region, particularly around Roxburghshire and Berwickshire. One notable member of the family from this era was John Struthers (1720-1786), a Scottish minister and writer who authored several religious works.
Moving into the 19th century, we find Sir John Struthers (1823-1899), a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1876 to 1880. Another prominent figure was Gavin Struthers (1854-1928), a Scottish businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Glasgow from 1906 to 1910.
While the surname Struthers has its origins in Scotland, it eventually spread to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, as Scottish families emigrated in search of new opportunities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Struthers
Among Census respondents with the surname Struthers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Struthers 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 Struthers surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 1,524
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 65
- Black or African American3.2% · 56
- Two or more races2.8% · 48
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Struthers
Struthers 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
#15,560
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,880
+11 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 956 places
2020
#16,212
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,726
-154 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.58
Rank movement Down 652 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,604 | 1,869 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,560 | 1,880 | 0.64 | +11 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 956 places |
| 2020 | #16,212 | 1,726 | 0.58 | -154 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 652 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 Struthers 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 | #15,560 | #16,212 | -4.2% |
| Count | 1,880 | 1,726 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.64 | 0.58 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Struthers bearers went from 1,880 to 1,726 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 652 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,560 to #16,212.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Struthers
FAQ
Struthers surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Struthers?
Name Census estimates that about 1,979 living Americans carry the surname Struthers. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 173,196 residents.
How common is Struthers?
Struthers ranks #16,212 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.58 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 1,726 people with the surname Struthers. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,979), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.58 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.58 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 Struthers.
Has Struthers become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Struthers went from 1,880 recorded bearers to 1,726. That is a decrease of 154 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,560 to #16,212.
What does the Census say about the background of Struthers?
Among Census respondents with the surname Struthers, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Black (3.2%). 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 Struthers in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (1,524 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Struthers appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), Black (3.2%). 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 Struthers (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 Struthers mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name related to the Old English word "streother," meaning marshy land or stream. 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 Struthers (0.58 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 Struthers?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.