The Major surname
In the 2010 U.S. Census, 20,977 people carried this name — #1,714 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 14,100 people counted. That is up 6% from 19,791 in 2000.
In Poland’s population register
1,597 people named Major have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 1,814 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in all 16 of Poland’s voivodeships, most of all in Silesian.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Ireland’s birth registers, 1890
Ireland registered 12 births for the Major name in 1890.
Most were registered in Ulster. By the Registrar-General’s own method — births multiplied by 44.38 — that is about 500 people bearing the name in Ireland at the time. The Registrar-General’s note on the name: “Antrim and Down.”
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born, 1890
Registrar-General for Ireland, «Special Report on Surnames in Ireland» (R. E. Matheson, 1894), births index of 1890 — public domain.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
196 people named Major live in Switzerland.
They live in 13 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 170 people named Major.
51 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 31 départements, most often Paris.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 43 people named Major live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in West Flanders.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
In Argentina’s national register
At least 24 people named Major live in Argentina.
RENAPER only publishes a name in a province when more than ten people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Buenos Aires Province.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
RENAPER (National Registry of Persons, Argentina), surnames of residents by province, December 2021 — CC BY 4.0.
In the Nordic population registers
114 people named Major is counted in Sweden.
Sweden’s figure is from 31 December 2022, the last count Statistics Sweden published.
Counted, by country
Own calculations based on data from Statistics Sweden (SCB), surnames with at least two bearers, 31 December 2022 — CC BY 4.0 (names with 20 or more bearers shown).
In print
Major in American newspapers,
1900.
Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain.
Who carried it
People named Major,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Georg Major 1502–1574 · writer -
Johann Major 1533–1600 · writer -
Johann Major 1533–1600 · writer -
John Major d. 1629 · politician
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István Kocsi Major d. 1744 · Reformed pastor
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Mona Major d. 1920
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to Major.
- Majcher 605 · U.S. census
- Majchrzak 709 · U.S. census
- Majer 483 · U.S. census
- Majerus 1,276 · U.S. census
- Majewski 5,126 · U.S. census
- Majka 1,571 · U.S. census
- Maka 636 · U.S. census
- Makhlouf 404 · U.S. census
- Makowski 3,942 · U.S. census
- Maksimovic 201 · U.S. census
- Mal 291 · U.S. census
- Mala 261 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where Major is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.