2000
#6,494
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,821
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.79
Rare Last name
Bannon
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Banáin, meaning "descendant of Banán," a diminutive of the word "ban" (white or fair).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,393 Americans carry the last name Bannon. That puts it at #6,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.57 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 63,555 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bannon 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 Bannon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.4K
1 in 63,555
Census rank
#6,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,703 bearers of the surname Bannon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.57 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bannon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bannon
The surname Bannon originates from Ireland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is an anglicized version of the Gaelic name "O'Banain," which means "descendant of Banan." The name Banan is derived from the Irish word "ban," meaning "white" or "fair-haired."
The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval Irish manuscripts, such as the Annals of the Four Masters, which mention several individuals with the name Bannon or O'Banain. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Muircheartach O'Banain, a prominent Irish chieftain who lived in the 13th century.
The Bannon surname was particularly prevalent in County Roscommon, where the family held lands and wielded significant influence. In the 16th century, the Annals of Ulster refer to the "O'Banains of Muintir Eolais," a powerful sept (clan) in that region.
As the name spread throughout Ireland, various spellings emerged, including Banon, Banyn, and Bannan. Some early records also mention place names associated with the family, such as Ballybanon (meaning "Bannon's town") and Carrowbannon (meaning "Bannon's quarter").
Notable individuals with the surname Bannon throughout history include:
1. Reverend Patrick Bannon (1615-1694), an Irish Franciscan friar and scholar who wrote extensively on Irish history and language.
2. Michael Bannon (1741-1803), an Irish-American soldier and merchant who fought in the American Revolutionary War.
3. John Bannon (1829-1913), an Irish-American businessman and politician who served as the 30th Mayor of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
4. Matthias Bannon (1832-1913), an Irish-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church who served as the Bishop of Mobile, Alabama.
5. James Bannon (1873-1942), an Irish-American labor leader and politician who was a prominent figure in the American Federation of Labor.
While the name has its roots in Ireland, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia, carried by Irish immigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bannon
Among Census respondents with the surname Bannon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Bannon 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 Bannon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 4,312
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 148
- Two or more races3.1% · 145
- Black or African American1.1% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bannon
Bannon 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
#6,845
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,921
+100 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 1.67
Rank movement Down 351 places
2020
#6,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,703
-218 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 1.57
Rank movement Down 38 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,494 | 4,821 | 1.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,845 | 4,921 | 1.67 | +100 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 351 places |
| 2020 | #6,883 | 4,703 | 1.57 | -218 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 38 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 Bannon 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 | #6,845 | #6,883 | -0.6% |
| Count | 4,921 | 4,703 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.67 | 1.57 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bannon bearers went from 4,921 to 4,703 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 38 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,845 to #6,883.
FAQ
Bannon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bannon?
Name Census estimates that about 5,393 living Americans carry the surname Bannon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 63,555 residents.
How common is Bannon?
Bannon ranks #6,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.57 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 4,703 people with the surname Bannon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,393), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.57 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.57 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 Bannon.
Has Bannon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bannon went from 4,921 recorded bearers to 4,703. That is a decrease of 218 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,845 to #6,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Bannon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bannon, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Bannon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (4,312 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bannon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Bannon (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 Bannon mean?
Derived from the Irish surname Ó Banáin, meaning "descendant of Banán," a diminutive of the word "ban" (white or fair). 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 Bannon (1.57 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 Bannon?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.