Fun Facts About the Name Race
- More than 1 thousand babies named Race: U.S. records list 1,411 babies given the name Race from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Race Mean?
Race is a rare masculine given name in English. It is usually explained as a transferred use of the surname Race. The surname has more than one possible origin, so the given name does not have a single settled meaning. The most common account derives the surname from the medieval personal name Race, a pet form of Randal. Randal comes from Old Norse Rǫgnvaldr, formed from regin 'counsel, decision' and valdr 'ruler'; on this account the ultimate sense would be 'counsel ruler'. A second account treats Race as a nickname from Middle English ras(e) 'rash, hasty'. A third, more tentative explanation is topographic, from Middle English race 'watercourse, race', ultimately from Old Norse rás, for someone who lived by a channel or millrace. The name is identical in form to the modern English word race, but that word has its own separate history and should not be assumed to be the source of the surname. Because the evidence is mixed, the meaning is best given as uncertain.
Race Name History & Origins
The surname Race is recorded in medieval England, especially in Yorkshire and northern England. Its development is intertwined with the personal name Randal, which Norse settlers and Normans brought to England; Randal derives from Old Norse Rǫgnvaldr. If the surname began as a pet form of that personal name, it would have passed from a familiar medieval byname into a hereditary family name. Other medieval origins are also possible: a nickname from ras(e) 'rash, hasty', or a topographic name from a word for a watercourse. The surname is the immediate source of the given name.
As a first name, Race is uncommon. It appears in modern English-speaking countries as a transferred surname rather than as a traditional given name with its own medieval record. Modern bearers include the American fencer Race Imboden. In fiction, Race Bannon is a character in the animated television series Jonny Quest, which first aired in 1964; this is a well-known use of the name, but it is not the origin of the surname or the given name.
How Popular is the Name Race?
Race has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2002. Its best rank was #1,777 in 2000.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,094 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2024 | #11,956 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2023 | #8,758 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2022 | #9,630 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #6,262 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2020 | #8,561 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #7,075 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #7,020 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #6,264 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2016 | #5,088 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2015 | #3,854 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2014 | #3,866 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2013 | #4,151 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2012 | #3,221 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #2,943 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 2010 | #3,289 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2009 | #3,148 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2008 | #2,709 | 46 | 0.0023% |
| 2007 | #2,407 | 54 | 0.0026% |
| 2006 | #2,272 | 56 | 0.0027% |
| 2005 | #2,000 | 63 | 0.0032% |
| 2004 | #2,185 | 54 | 0.0027% |
| 2003 | #2,118 | 53 | 0.0027% |
| 2002 | #1,783 | 65 | 0.0033% |
| 2001 | #2,375 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 2000 | #1,777 | 62 | 0.0032% |
| 1999 | #1,818 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 1998 | #1,845 | 54 | 0.0028% |
| 1997 | #2,015 | 45 | 0.0024% |
| 1996 | #2,041 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1995 | #2,244 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 1994 | #2,920 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 1993 | #2,280 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1992 | #2,976 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 1991 | #3,086 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1990 | #3,734 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1989 | #2,972 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1988 | #2,830 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1987 | #2,623 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1986 | #3,235 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1985 | #4,266 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #3,873 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #7,041 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1981 | #7,026 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1980 | #6,054 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1979 | #6,812 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1973 | #4,942 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 1972 | #3,879 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1970 | #3,026 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1969 | #2,819 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #4,022 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1966 | #4,384 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1965 | #2,583 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1962 | #3,933 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1959 | #3,519 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,212 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1957 | #2,976 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1956 | #3,845 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #3,795 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1954 | #4,238 | 5 | 0.0002% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Race Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are a law unto itself. Your tendency is to finish whatever you start. You are tolerant and like to help humanity. You are very active. You are generally warmhearted and gives freely of your time, energy, and sympathetic understanding. You have tolerance and acceptance of the frailties of others. Universal and humanitarian in outlook. This is very compassionate name. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Race's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Race's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.