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

Belton, 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 Belton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Belton in America

Belton is the 3939th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Belton surname appeared 9,041 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Belton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Belton 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 Belton

The surname Belton is an English name that originated in the 12th century. It is believed to be a locational name, derived from various places in England called Belton, such as those found in Lincolnshire, Leicestershire, and Rutland. These place names are thought to have come from the Old English words "bel" meaning "bell" and "tun" meaning "enclosure" or "farmstead," suggesting a possible association with a bell-shaped hill or a settlement near a bell-shaped mound.

One of the earliest known records of the surname Belton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1176, which mentions a person named Robert de Belton. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also contain references to individuals with the surname Belton, such as William de Belton and John de Belton, residing in various parts of Lincolnshire.

The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not directly mention the surname Belton, but it does record the existence of places called Beltone, which may have been the precursors to the current place names and subsequent surnames.

In the 14th century, records show a William de Belton who held lands in Leicestershire. Another notable early bearer of the name was John Belton, born around 1430, who was a member of the Guild of Corpus Christi in York, England.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the surname Belton became more widespread, with individuals bearing the name appearing in various parts of England. One notable figure was Robert Belton, born in 1517, who was a member of the Merchant Taylors' Company in London and served as an alderman of the city.

Another prominent individual with the surname Belton was Sir Edmund Belton, born in 1587, who was a member of the English Parliament and served as the High Sheriff of Lincolnshire in 1628. He was knighted in 1616 by King James I.

In the 18th century, the surname Belton continued to be found in various parts of England, with individuals such as John Belton (1695-1767), a landowner and justice of the peace in Lincolnshire, and Reverend John Belton (1721-1789), a clergyman and author from Yorkshire.

The 19th century saw the surname Belton extend beyond England, with individuals bearing the name emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia. One notable figure from this era was John Belton (1823-1902), an English cricketer who played for the Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Belton

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

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 Belton 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 Belton 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 Belton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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