Find out how popular the last name Banning is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Banning.

Banning, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Banning surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Banning in America

Banning is the 9458th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Banning surname appeared 3,440 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Banning.

We can also compare 2010 data for Banning to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Banning

The surname Banning originated in England, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "banning," which means a summoning or proclamation. This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals responsible for making public announcements or proclamations, such as town criers or heralds.

Historically, the name Banning was particularly prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire and Gloucestershire in the West Midlands region of England. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I. These records mention individuals with the surname Banning residing in various villages and townships across these counties.

One notable historical reference to the name Banning can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and property ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The Domesday Book lists a landowner named Radulfus Banning, who held estates in the county of Worcestershire during the Norman era.

In the 13th century, the name Banning appeared in various forms, including Bannynge, Bannyng, and Baninge, reflecting the spelling variations common in that era. Some of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname include John Banning, who was born in Gloucestershire around 1280, and William Banning, a landowner in Worcestershire mentioned in records from 1312.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Banning. One such figure was John Banning (1650-1723), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Magdalene College, Cambridge, from 1716 until his death. Another prominent Banning was Emerson Banning (1781-1866), an American businessman and landowner who played a significant role in the early development of Los Angeles, California.

Other notable individuals with the Banning surname include:

1. Phineas Banning (1830-1885), an American businessman and transportation magnate who established the port town of Wilmington, California.
2. Katharine Lee Bates (née Banning, 1859-1929), an American writer best known for her poem "America the Beautiful."
3. William Banning (1886-1969), an English cricketer who played for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the early 20th century.
4. Robert Banning (1903-1988), an American film director and producer active in Hollywood during the 1930s and 1940s.
5. Kendrick Banning Oakes (1914-2005), an American businessman and philanthropist who served as the chairman of the Rockefeller Brothers Fund.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Banning

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Banning.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Banning was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Banning has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Banning was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Banning, please contact us.

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