Inside the 1790 US Census: The Families Who Founded a Nation

As we approach the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States in July 2026, it’s a great time to explore how our families’ stories connect to the country’s collective heritage. The MyHeritage Research team took the opportunity to look back at the first-ever US Federal Census, taken in 1790, and uncover the legacies of the families who shaped early America.

If your surname is one of the following, your ancestors might have been among them:

The founding family surnames

The 1790 census recorded approximately 27,337 distinct surnames. The population, as recorded in 1790, was strikingly homogeneous: the vast majority of surnames were of English and Scottish origin, reflecting the main sources of immigration up to that point. This British influence was so pronounced that around 800 surnames, roughly one-third of the entire population, were shared by most residents. In contrast, the remaining two-thirds of the population were distributed among a vast variety of names, 38% of which (11,934 names) were represented by a single family.

The surname Smith was the most common, representing nearly 6,000 families and appearing over 1,000 times in Massachusetts alone.

This concentration of common names was particularly high in New England; Massachusetts, whose population in 1790 was almost exclusively of British origin, reported the highest proportion of families sharing the same surnames. Conversely, Pennsylvania boasted the most diverse collection of surnames, with nearly double the number of surnames compared to those found in other states. This difference may be attributed to the significant presence of German immigrants. New York was also among the more diverse states, with notable German and Dutch influence.

All this said, to truly understand the place these surnames have in American history, it’s important to understand exactly who was counted in the census and how — and, more importantly, who was not counted.

Who was counted in the 1790 US Census

The first census of the United States enumerated the inhabitants of 17 states. The data collected, considered representative of the population of the United States, reports 3,929,214 inhabitants.

The 1790 US census first documented the “heads of families” by their last name, keeping that tally separate from the “total number of persons” under that same name (mainly, the rest of the family). The heads of families were considered in the census to be the “founders of the Republic,” “who adopted the Constitution which made the Republic permanent.” In the early days of the American nation, this referred exclusively to white men.

Who was counted, but not named, in the census

Many others were technically included in the total population statistics, but they were not named, only counted as numbers within a household, recorded under the name of the head of household or landlord. Enslaved people were counted for the purpose of legislative representation. They were not listed by name but only as a numerical figure under a column titled “Slave” as part of the slaveholder’s household.

White women and children were counted numerically to determine the total population. Women were very rarely listed as “Heads of Families,” either as a widow or the sole head of a household. So did indentured servants and poor “free whites,” who while free, did not head their own households and lived within another’s home.

Who was left out of the census

Several significant segments of the population were completely excluded from the count.

The most significant exclusion was the vast majority of the Native American population, i.e., Native Americans living in their own communities or on tribal lands under their own sovereignty.

In addition, no enumeration was taken in the Northwest Territory (which later became states like Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin) due to logistical difficulties and the continued presence of British military garrisons.

It’s important to note that though originally included in the census, the data regarding the states of Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Virginia is now lost to history. Most of the relevant documentation from these states was destroyed when the British burned down the Capitol in Washington during the War of 1812.

Were your ancestors among the founding families of the United States? What role did your family have in the building of the American nation? Start your family tree on MyHeritage today and find out.