Singleton
A somewhat rare name meaning "the single one" or "the lone one".
Name Census estimates that about 9 living Americans carry the first name Singleton. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Singleton today is around 85 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Singleton births was 1919 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Singleton. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Singleton is about 85 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Singletons were born before 1951.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Singleton. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
9
~ 1 in 38,083,815 Americans
Peak year
1919
10 babies that year
Average age
85
years old
1951 SSA rank
#4,185
Tracked since 1891
Popularity
Singleton: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Singleton from the 1890s through to the 1950s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 30 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1910s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Singleton by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Singleton during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Singleton
The name Singleton has its origins in the English language and dates back to the Middle Ages. It is a surname that was later adopted as a first name, derived from the Old English words "sengel" meaning "single" and "tun" meaning "an enclosed piece of ground or dwelling." Originally, it referred to someone who lived alone or occupied a single dwelling or plot of land.
In the early days, the name was often spelled as "Syngleton" or "Syngylton" in various historical records. It is believed to have been used as a descriptive surname to distinguish individuals who lived alone or were the sole inhabitants of a particular area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Singleton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is mentioned in reference to several individuals, such as Singleton de Singleton in Lancashire.
Throughout history, there have been several notable figures who bore the name Singleton. One of the earliest was Sir John Singleton (1566-1644), an English lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons during the reign of King Charles I.
Another prominent individual was Robert Singleton (1706-1765), an English physician and mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of calculus and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1758.
In the realm of literature, the name Singleton is associated with Mary Singleton (1844-1939), an English novelist and short story writer who was part of the late Victorian literary scene and published works such as "The Fernhurst Tales" and "The Village Tragedy."
In the field of sports, one cannot overlook the legendary Singleton Argyle (1917-1997), an Australian cricketer who played Test cricket for Australia in the 1940s and was known for his exceptional batting skills.
Another notable figure was Singleton Belmore (1870-1945), a British military officer who served in the Boer War and World War I, earning the Distinguished Service Order for his bravery in the latter conflict.
While the name Singleton has its roots in English history, it has also been adopted and used in other cultures and regions around the world, reflecting the spread and influence of English language and culture.
People
Singleton + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Singleton as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with S
Other first names starting with S with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Singleton: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Singleton?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Singleton going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 38,083,815 US residents.
Is Singleton a common name?
We classify Singleton as "Very Rare". It ranks above 25.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 77 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Singleton most popular?
The single biggest year for Singleton was 1919, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Singleton is about 85 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Singleton a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Singleton in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.