2000
#5,997
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,288
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.96
Rare Last name
Banner
An occupational surname referring to a flag bearer or maker of banners and flags.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,818 Americans carry the last name Banner. That puts it at #6,445 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 58,913 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banner 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 Banner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.8K
1 in 58,913
Census rank
#6,445
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,074 bearers of the surname Banner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6445th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banner, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banner
The surname Banner is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "banere" or "baniere," which means "banner" or "flag." This name likely originated as an occupational surname for a banner bearer, who carried the flag or standard in military processions or battles.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Banner date back to the late 12th century in England. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was William le Banere, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1191.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Baner, Banere, and Banyer. During this period, the surname was often associated with individuals who held the position of a banner bearer or ensign in the military or local militia.
The Hundred Rolls of 1273 record a Nicholas le Banere in Oxfordshire, and the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327 mention a John le Baner. These early records shed light on the geographic distribution of the name across different regions of England.
One notable individual bearing the surname Banner was Sir John Banner, a Scottish knight who fought alongside William Wallace in the Wars of Scottish Independence in the late 13th and early 14th centuries. He was captured at the Battle of Falkirk in 1298 and later executed.
Another prominent figure with this surname was Michael Banner, an English theologian and philosopher who lived from 1925 to 1986. He was a prominent figure in the Church of England and served as the Bishop of Doncaster from 1978 until his death.
In the 16th century, the surname Banner was sometimes associated with place names, such as Bannerdown in Somerset and Bannerleigh in Devon. These locations likely derived their names from individuals bearing the Banner surname who owned or resided in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname Banner include John Banner (1910-1973), an Austrian-American actor best known for his role as Master Sergeant Schultz in the television series "Hogan's Heroes," and Anthony Banner (1925-2021), a British author and academic who specialized in the history of philosophy.
The surname Banner has a rich history, originating from an occupational role in medieval England and evolving over time to become a widespread surname across various regions and social strata. Its origins can be traced back to the Old French word for "banner," reflecting the importance of banners and standards in military and civic traditions of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banner
Among Census respondents with the surname Banner, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Banner 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 Banner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.7% · 3,436
- Black or African American24.1% · 1,224
- Two or more races4.1% · 206
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 161
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banner
Banner 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
#5,990
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,739
+451 bearers (+8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.95
Rank movement Up 7 places
2020
#6,445
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,074
-665 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 455 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,997 | 5,288 | 1.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,990 | 5,739 | 1.95 | +451 bearers (+8.5%) | Up 7 places |
| 2020 | #6,445 | 5,074 | 1.70 | -665 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 455 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 Banner 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 | #5,990 | #6,445 | -7.6% |
| Count | 5,739 | 5,074 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.95 | 1.70 | -12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banner bearers went from 5,739 to 5,074 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 455 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,990 to #6,445.
FAQ
Banner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banner?
Name Census estimates that about 5,818 living Americans carry the surname Banner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 58,913 residents.
How common is Banner?
Banner ranks #6,445 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,074 people with the surname Banner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,818), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Banner.
Has Banner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banner went from 5,739 recorded bearers to 5,074. That is a decrease of 665 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,990 to #6,445.
What does the Census say about the background of Banner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banner, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.7%. The next largest groups are Black (24.1%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Banner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.7% (3,436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.7%), Black (24.1%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Banner (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 Banner mean?
An occupational surname referring to a flag bearer or maker of banners and flags. 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 Banner (1.70 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 Americans have the surname Banner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.