How common is the last name Townsend?

66,493 people in the United States have the last name Townsend, about 1 in 4,495. It ranks #492 of 156,621 last names in the 2020 Census.

last name

TOWNSEND

#492

of 156,621 last names recorded in the 2020 Census

People
66,493
About
1 in 4,495
This common or more
31.8%
Who bears it

Of the 66,493 people with the last name Townsend, 65.6% reported their origin as White, 25.6% as Black and 4.2% as two or more races. These count how people described themselves on the 2020 Census, not where the name comes from.

Either side of Townsend

#490 Farmer · 66,667#491 Hampton · 66,633#493 Sherman · 66,346#494 Hammond · 66,318

Spelled almost the same

5 last names in the 2020 Census spelled within a letter or two of Townsend, most common first.

#16,358 Townson · 1,707#46,481 Townshend · 494#55,864 Townzen · 396#83,936 Townsen · 241#97,359 Townsand · 200

Also a first name

As a first name, Townsend ranks #17,356 of 53,615, with 637 people. As a baby name it peaked in 2025, with 41 births. See Townsend as a first name

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