Meaning and origin
The last name Humphries traces its origins to medieval England, deriving from the given name Humphrey, which itself comes from the Old Germanic name Hunfrid. Hunfrid is a combination of the elements "hun," meaning "bear cub," and "frid," meaning "peace." The name Humphries began as a patronymic surname, indicating descent from a person named Humphrey. Over time, it has evolved through various spellings and pronunciations to become the recognizable surname we know today.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#1,981
Humphries was the 1,981st most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 18,201 people, about 5.9 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Where it is found
Countries linked to Humphries.
Surnames like Humphries
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where Humphries is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.