What is the US race ethnicity of a name?

US race ethnicity is a categorization based on the US Census Taxonomy which guide the Census Bureau in classifying written responses to the race question. This categorization includes a taxonomy in 6 classes: White, Black or African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Hispanic or Latino and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander.

US race ethnicity - Find the ethno-racial group from a first, last or full name

Namsor harnesses advanced morphological and onomastic techniques to provide highly accurate U.S. race and ethnicity estimates in line with U.S. Census categories.

Our AI can determine the 'race' ethnicity from any last name, first name, or full name, offering unmatched precision thanks to its training on billions of names.

Estimate the U.S. race ethnicity with our advanced tool

Identify from a first name and/or a surname and a country of residence, the most likely United State's race classification based on the US Census taxonomy.

Slightly more accurate with separate names.

ZIP code improves accuracy.

U.S. race ethnicity: first & last name

Ideal feature for estimating the U.S. race ethnicity from a split name:

Select a taxonomy :

4 classes6 classes

For international names (non US resident) please choose 4 classes. Enumerators for the returned 'race' ethnicity. US race enumerators.

First name (Optional)

First name, given name, nickname.

Last name (Optional)

Last name, family name, surname.

Country code (Optional)

Country of residence, in ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 format.

Tag: Name US Race
Precision:
Cost: 10 credits per name.
API: Name US Race documentation

Understanding the returned values

Use our U.S. race ethnicity finder through an API or our simple interface to estimate an individual's U.S. race ethnicity based on their name. Here’s how it works:

U.S. race ethnicity Identifies the likely U.S. race ethnicity associated with the name.
Calibrated probability (Between 0% and 100%) Shows how confident the system is in its prediction. For instance, a 90% score indicates a very high certainty of the estimated U.S. race ethnicity
Alternative U.S. race ethnicity Shows the second most U.S. race ethnicity associated with the name.
Alt. Calibrated probability (Between 0% and 100%) Measures the overall likelihood that the name corresponds to either the primary or alternative estimation. It runs higher than the standard probability because it covers multiple possibilities.
Script (Latin, Cyrillic, etc.) Indicates the writing system used, providing clues about linguistic and cultural background.

How Namsor Estimates U.S. Race Ethnicity?

Namsor offers a dedicated tool to identify an individual's likely U.S. race ethnicity based on their first name, last name, or full name.

Example of a basic morphological analysis of the Sharma surname.

This process uses an advanced onomastic model and large-scale linguistic data to infer which of the six standard U.S. Census categories best matches the provided name. Specifically, our approach aligns with a social definition of race, reflecting the way different communities and cultural groups are recognized in official U.S. statistics.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, and under the guidelines of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Royal Society of Chemistry, our taxonomy comprises six main categories:

American Indian or Alaskan Native
Asian
Black
Hispano latino
Pacific Islander
White

These classifications help capture the rich diversity of the U.S. population by grouping individuals through sociocultural factors. When you enter a name, Namsor's system analyzes linguistic and historical naming patterns, then predicts the most likely match within this taxonomy.

By relying on extensive global data, our solution continuously improves its accuracy, offering clear insights for researchers, businesses, and anyone seeking to understand U.S. race ethnicity in a responsible and data-driven manner.

How Our U.S. Race Ethnicity AI Works

At Namsor, we've developed an advanced AI system designed to determine a person's U.S. race ethnicity based on their name. This technology combines extensive datasets, cutting-edge linguistic analysis, and ongoing refinement to produce accurate, reliable insights. Below is an overview of our four-step methodology:

1
Comprehensive data aggregation and preparation
2
Onomastic model construction and training
3
Model evaluation and benchmarking
4
Continuous improvement and adaptation

Additional origin taxonomies

Origin
Origin is a taxonomy that categorizes a person's origin based on their own, their parents', or their ancestors' country of origin.
Find name origin
Ethnicity
The diaspora categorizes people by shared cultural, national, or linguistic backgrounds rather than geography.
Guess name ethnicity
Residence country
A person's residence country is where they have lived most in the past year, often a better indicator than nationality.
Identify location

Solutions for using our onomastic tool

Determine the most likely U.S. race ethnicity behind a name using our specialized onomastic solution. Here are three ways to analyze names against the six official U.S. census categories:

A group of people from different backgrounds processing an Excel file using software.

CSV and Excel Tool

Upload your CSV or Excel file, select the relevant settings, and analyze which of the six official U.S. race categories best matches each first name, last name, or full name.

This tool provides data-backed insights into demographic classification across your entire dataset.

Process a CSV or Excel file

Two people interacting with computer servers.

API Documentation

For larger or frequent analysis tasks, integrate our API into your existing systems for automated U.S. race ethnicity classification.

Comprehensive documentation and sample code in Python, JavaScript, Java, and Shell facilitate development and deployment.

Explore the API Documentation

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Developer Tools

Access advanced U.S. race ethnicity analysis using our SDKs and CLI options for Python, Java, GoLang, and JavaScript.

These tools offer advanced onomastic and linguistic functions to handle projects of all sizes with precise demographic insights.

Download Developer Tools

Why estimate U.S. race ethnicity?

Estimating U.S. race ethnicity from first names, surnames, and full names provides valuable insights across various sectors.

Research

A leading public health institute uses Namsor's U.S. Race Ethnicity estimation to study disease trends in different communities.

By analyzing participant names, they accurately identify likely demographic groups and tailor interventions with pinpoint precision.

Fighting discrimination

A large municipal HR department integrates Namsor's technology to uncover hidden biases in hiring.

Analyzing candidate names helps highlight possible underrepresented groups, so they can refine recruitment strategies and promote a more inclusive workplace.

Diaspora mapping

An international NGO relies on Namsor's solution to locate diaspora communities and provide targeted resources.

By examining names across regions, they discover where specific cultural groups are concentrated and focus their outreach where it has the greatest impact.