Explore the Family Name General
The meaning of General
1. African American: from the English vocabulary word general, possibly adopted as a surname in honor of a certain general of the US army, most probably Ulysses S. Grant (see Grant, compare President). Compare also 3 below. 2. German: nickname for a mercenary (employed in royal services). 3. Hispanic (mainly Philippines): nickname from Spanish general ‘general’ (military officer).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name General in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname General has increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, General was the 31,658th most common surname in the United States, but by 2010 it had risen to the 30,139th spot, marking a jump in rank by roughly 4.8 percent. The actual number of people with the surname also increased from approximately 690 in 2000 to 778 in 2010, a rise of nearly 12.75 percent. Despite this increase, the proportion of individuals named General per 100,000 US residents remained consistent at 0.26.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #31,658 | #30,139 | 4.8% |
| Count | 690 | 778 | 12.75% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.26 | 0.26 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name General
The ethnic identity associated with the surname General also saw some changes during this period. Data from the Decennial U.S. Census revealed that people identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander with this surname increased by about 32.31 percent from 2000 to 2010. There was also a significant increase in the number of people identifying with two or more ethnicities, rising by about 73.57 percent. The proportion of people with the surname General who identified as White decreased by almost 19.65 percent, while those identifying as Hispanic doubled. The percentage of Black individuals with this surname remained largely stable, decreasing slightly by 0.17 percent. Finally, the proportion of people identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native dropped by 31.38 percent.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 58.84% | 58.74% | -0.17% |
| White | 20% | 16.07% | -19.65% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 9.13% | 12.08% | 32.31% |
| Two or More Races | 3.33% | 5.78% | 73.57% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 7.68% | 5.27% | -31.38% |
| Hispanic | 1.01% | 2.06% | 103.96% |