Explore the Family Name Pembroke
The meaning of Pembroke
English and Irish: habitational name from Pembroke (Welsh Penfro, from Welsh pen ‘end’ + brog ‘land’) in southwest Wales. Pembroke Castle was of strategic importance in medieval and Tudor times because of its commanding position at the western end of the Bristol Channel and its control of seaborne traffic between Britain and the south of Ireland. It was from Pembroke that Richard de Clare, Earl of Pembroke, nicknamed ‘Strongbow’, launched an expedition to Wexford in 1169–70, which brought many English and Welsh surnames to Ireland.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pembroke in the United States?
The Pembroke surname, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census, saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was the 29,873rd most popular surname but slipped to the 31,873rd position in 2010, a change of -6.7%. The count of individuals with this surname also decreased by -2.43% during this period, moving from 742 in 2000 to 724 in 2010. Consequently, the proportion of individuals named Pembroke per 100k people declined by -10.71%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #29,873 | #31,873 | -6.7% |
| Count | 742 | 724 | -2.43% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.28 | 0.25 | -10.71% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pembroke
Regarding its ethnic identity distribution, the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority of Pembrokes identified as White in both 2000 and 2010, with a slight increase of 0.45% over the decade. Individuals identifying as Black made up the second-largest group, although their percentage decreased by -15.43% from 2000 to 2010. Notably, there was a significant increase (86.49%) in those reporting two or more races within the same time frame. There were no reported Pembrokes who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic, or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.41% | 88.81% | 0.45% |
| Black | 8.49% | 7.18% | -15.43% |
| Two or More Races | 1.48% | 2.76% | 86.49% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.81% | 0% | 0% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |