2000
#97,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 172
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Binson
A surname derived from a location name or place name, likely from a town or village.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Binson. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Binson 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 Binson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Binson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Binson, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Binson
The surname Binson has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "binn" meaning a bin or container, and "tun" meaning a town or settlement. This suggests that the name may have originated from a place where bins or containers were made or stored.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire, which dates back to 1273. Here, the name is listed as "William de Binneston." This spelling variation indicates that the name may have been associated with a specific place called "Binneston" or a similar name.
During the medieval period, the surname Binson was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire. Records from the 14th century show several individuals with the name residing in these areas, such as John Binson, who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1324.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various historical documents, including parish records and tax rolls. One notable individual from this period was Thomas Binson, a merchant from Lincolnshire who was born around 1520 and was involved in the wool trade.
As time passed, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Bynson, Binston, and Bineson appearing in different regions. In the 17th century, a prominent figure with this surname was Sir Henry Binson, a landowner and magistrate from Nottinghamshire who lived from 1625 to 1702.
Moving into the 18th century, the Binson surname continued to be present across England, with individuals like William Binson, a farmer from Yorkshire born in 1745, and Elizabeth Binson, a notable philanthropist from Lincolnshire who was born in 1770 and dedicated her life to supporting orphanages and charitable causes.
Another significant figure with the Binson surname was Robert Binson, a renowned architect who lived from 1825 to 1902. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Albert Hall.
Throughout its history, the Binson surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, from merchants and landowners to farmers and architects. While the name may have originated from a specific location, it has since spread across different regions of England and beyond, becoming a part of the diverse tapestry of surnames found in the country.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Binson
Among Census respondents with the surname Binson, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Binson 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 Binson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White59.0% · 62
- Black or African American27.6% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander6.7% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Binson
Binson 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
#114,424
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
-19 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 16,576 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-48 bearers (-31.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 38,565 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #97,848 | 172 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #114,424 | 153 | 0.05 | -19 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 16,576 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -48 bearers (-31.4%) | Down 38,565 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 Binson 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 | #114,424 | #152,989 | -33.7% |
| Count | 153 | 105 | -31.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -29.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Binson bearers went from 153 to 105 (-31.4% change). The surname moved down 38,565 positions in the national ranking, going from #114,424 to #152,989.
FAQ
Binson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Binson?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Binson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Binson?
Binson ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 105 people with the surname Binson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Binson.
Has Binson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Binson went from 153 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 48 (-31.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #114,424 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Binson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Binson, the largest self-reported group is White at 59.0%. The next largest groups are Black (27.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%). 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 Binson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.0% (62 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Binson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (59.0%), Black (27.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (6.7%). 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 Binson (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 Binson mean?
A surname derived from a location name or place name, likely from a town or village. 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 Binson (0.04 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 are called Binson?
Find out how many people have the last name Binson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.