# Major (surname)

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

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | German |
| Type | not recorded |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 20,977 |
| US rank (2010) | 1,714 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 14,718 people |
| Change since 2000 | +6.0% (19,791 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

* As an English surname of Norman origin, from the personal name Malgier, via Old French from the Germanic name *Madalgari. See Mauger. * As a Hungarian surname, shortened from majorosgazda (see Majoros), or borrowed from German Meyer. * As a Polish, Czech, and Slovak surname, from the military rank major. * As a Jewish surname, variant of Meyer. * As a French and Occitan surname, from the adjective majeur and the military rank major. The latter appears in Canadian French, sometimes also as La Major.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Major 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) | 61% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 33% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 2.7% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 0.7% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.5% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Major in the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia.

## People named Major

- Charles Major, American novelist, lawyer (1856-1913)
- Elliott Woolfolk Major, American politician (1864-1949)
- Anya Major, British athlete and actor
- Clarence Major, American poet, painter and novelist
- Travis Major, Australian soccer player
- DJ Rush, American DJ and music producer

## Similar surnames

Mojarro, Magro, McGuire, Moser, McCray, McGraw, Messer, McRae, Maguire, Mosher, Musser, McGrew.

## 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.