# Avery (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/avery/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | Latin |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 39,564 |
| US rank (2010) | 878 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 7,804 people |
| Change since 2000 | +5.7% (37,440 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈeɪ.və.ɹi/, 3 syllables |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

From Anglo-Norman Averay, Auveray, Alverey, from Latin Alveredus, Aluredus, from Old English Ælfræd, from ælf (“elf”) and ræd (“counsel”). Doublet of Alfred.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Avery in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 71% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 23% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.3% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.5% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.8% |
| Two or more races | 2.4% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Avery in the United States and Australia.

## People named Avery

- James Avery, American actor (1945–2013)
- Tex Avery, American animator and director (1908–1980)
- Margaret Avery, American actress
- Val Avery, American actor (1924–2009)
- George Avery, Australian athlete (1925–2006)
- Charles Avery, American actor and film director (1873–1926)
- Milton Avery, American artist (1885–1965)
- Steven Avery, American man convicted of murder and previously wrongly convicted of rape
- Lloyd Avery II, American actor and convicted murderer (1969-2005)
- Phyllis Avery, American actress (1922–2011)
- William Avery, American basketball player (born 1979)
- Mary Ellen Avery, American pediatrician (1927-2011)

and 7 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Avera, Abreu, Aubrey, Aybar, Aubry, Aber, Abreo.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.