2000
#12,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,326
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Arnott
A Scottish and northern English locational surname derived from the place name Arnot, meaning "eagle's nook."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,531 Americans carry the last name Arnott. That puts it at #13,250 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,422 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Arnott surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Arnott with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 135,422
Census rank
#13,250
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,207 bearers of the surname Arnott in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13250th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Arnott, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Arnott
The surname Arnott is believed to have originated in Scotland, with roots dating back to the medieval era. It is derived from the Old English words 'earn' meaning 'eagle' and 'hoth' meaning 'ridge' or 'promontory'. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a prominent ridge or hill where eagles were known to nest.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Arnott can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as 'Arnot', suggesting a slight variation in spelling from the modern form.
The Arnott surname has been present in various historical records throughout the centuries. For instance, in the 16th century, a certain John Arnott was mentioned in the Register of the Privy Council of Scotland for his involvement in a land dispute.
Place names have also contributed to the development of the surname. The village of Arnothill, located in Fife, Scotland, is believed to have been named after an early bearer of the Arnott name, further solidifying the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Among notable individuals bearing the surname Arnott throughout history, we can mention:
1. Sir John Arnott (1555-1616), a Scottish merchant and landowner who served as Lord Provost of Edinburgh.
2. Hugo Arnott (1749-1786), a Scottish poet and essayist known for his contributions to the periodical The Mirror.
3. Samuel Arnott (1756-1838), a Scottish physician and author who wrote extensively on the subject of heat and its effects on the human body.
4. Neil Arnott (1788-1874), a Scottish physician and inventor known for his contributions to the development of the waterbed and the smoke jacket.
5. William Arnott (1808-1875), a Scottish businessman and founder of the Arnott's Biscuit Company, which became a renowned brand in Australia and New Zealand.
The surname Arnott has a rich history rooted in Scotland's past, with connections to both geographical features and notable individuals who have left their mark across various fields, from literature and medicine to business and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Arnott
Among Census respondents with the surname Arnott, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Arnott bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Arnott surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,017
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 75
- Two or more races3.4% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 22
- Black or African American0.5% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Arnott
Arnott appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#12,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,394
+68 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.81
Rank movement Down 595 places
2020
#13,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,207
-187 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 389 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,266 | 2,326 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,861 | 2,394 | 0.81 | +68 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 595 places |
| 2020 | #13,250 | 2,207 | 0.74 | -187 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 389 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Arnott surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #12,861 | #13,250 | -3.0% |
| Count | 2,394 | 2,207 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.81 | 0.74 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Arnott bearers went from 2,394 to 2,207 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 389 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,861 to #13,250.
FAQ
Arnott surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Arnott?
Name Census estimates that about 2,531 living Americans carry the surname Arnott. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,422 residents.
How common is Arnott?
Arnott ranks #13,250 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,207 people with the surname Arnott. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,531), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Arnott.
Has Arnott become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Arnott went from 2,394 recorded bearers to 2,207. That is a decrease of 187 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,861 to #13,250.
What does the Census say about the background of Arnott?
Among Census respondents with the surname Arnott, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Arnott in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,017 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Arnott appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Arnott (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Arnott mean?
A Scottish and northern English locational surname derived from the place name Arnot, meaning "eagle's nook." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Arnott (0.74 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Arnott?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.