2000
#14,574
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,873
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Banton
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "bean farm."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,515 Americans carry the last name Banton. That puts it at #13,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 136,284 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Banton 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 Banton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.5K
1 in 136,284
Census rank
#13,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,193 bearers of the surname Banton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Banton, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.5%. The next largest groups are Black (43.1%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Banton
The surname Banton is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the 13th century. It is derived from the Old English word "bantan," which means "to beat" or "to strike." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who worked as a beater or striker, possibly in a trade such as blacksmithing or carpentry.
One of the earliest recorded references to the name Banton can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1275, where a person named William Banton is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already established in England by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name Banton appeared in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, which mentions a Richard Banton, and the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1349, where a Roger Banton is listed.
The name Banton is also closely associated with the village of Banton in West Yorkshire, England. It is believed that the surname may have originated from this place name, which itself is derived from the Old English words "ban" meaning "bone" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "settlement." This suggests that the village may have been named after a bone-related activity or industry that took place there.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the surname Banton:
1. John Banton (c. 1555-1618), an English clergyman and writer who served as the Bishop of Gloucester.
2. Henry Banton (1692-1758), a British military officer who served in the War of the Austrian Succession.
3. Charles Banton (1766-1832), a British naval officer who participated in the Battle of Trafalgar.
4. William Banton (1801-1876), an English architect known for designing several churches and public buildings in London.
5. George Banton (1832-1901), a Scottish businessman and philanthropist who founded the Banton Trust for the education of children in Glasgow.
The surname Banton has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, including Baunton, Bauntun, and Baunten, reflecting the regional dialects and pronunciation differences across England. Despite these variations, the name has maintained its distinctive identity and continues to be used in various parts of the world today.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Banton
Among Census respondents with the surname Banton, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.5%. The next largest groups are Black (43.1%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Banton 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 Banton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White45.5% · 998
- Black or African American43.1% · 946
- Two or more races5.7% · 125
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 39
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Banton
Banton 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
#13,236
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,307
+434 bearers (+23.2%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Up 1,338 places
2020
#13,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,193
-114 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 73 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,574 | 1,873 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,236 | 2,307 | 0.78 | +434 bearers (+23.2%) | Up 1,338 places |
| 2020 | #13,309 | 2,193 | 0.73 | -114 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 73 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 Banton 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 | #13,236 | #13,309 | -0.6% |
| Count | 2,307 | 2,193 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.78 | 0.73 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Banton bearers went from 2,307 to 2,193 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 73 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,236 to #13,309.
FAQ
Banton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Banton?
Name Census estimates that about 2,515 living Americans carry the surname Banton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 136,284 residents.
How common is Banton?
Banton ranks #13,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,193 people with the surname Banton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,515), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Banton.
Has Banton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Banton went from 2,307 recorded bearers to 2,193. That is a decrease of 114 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,236 to #13,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Banton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Banton, the largest self-reported group is White at 45.5%. The next largest groups are Black (43.1%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Banton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 45.5% (998 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Banton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (45.5%), Black (43.1%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Banton (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 Banton mean?
A surname of English origin, derived from a place name meaning "bean farm." 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 Banton (0.73 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 Banton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.