2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bliton
A toponymic surname originating from a place named Blyton or Bliton.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Bliton. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bliton 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.
Bearers in the US
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Bliton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bliton, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bliton
The surname BLITON originated in England during the 13th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "blith" meaning "cheerful" and "tun" meaning "town". This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived in a town known for its cheerful or pleasant residents.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1279, where a William de Blytheton is mentioned. This spelling variation, "Blytheton", provides insight into the name's evolution over time.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which lists a John de Blyteton. This suggests the name was present in different regions of England during this period.
The surname BLITON is also linked to the village of Blyton in Lincolnshire, which was known as Blitone in the Domesday Book of 1086. It is possible that the name originated from this place and was adopted as a surname by individuals who lived there or were associated with the village.
Notable individuals with the surname BLITON throughout history include:
1. Sir John Bliton (1450-1515), a prominent English landowner and member of Parliament during the Tudor period.
2. Thomas Bliton (1598-1672), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious texts.
3. Elizabeth Bliton (1670-1738), a renowned herbalist and midwife in the county of Wiltshire.
4. William Bliton (1788-1856), a British military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Mary Bliton (1820-1895), a pioneer in the field of women's education and founder of the Bliton Academy for Girls in London.
The surname BLITON has been present in various historical records and has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, ranging from landowners and members of Parliament to authors, military officers, and pioneers in education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bliton
Among Census respondents with the surname Bliton, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bliton 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 Bliton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bliton
Bliton 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,233 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 318 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 15,233 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 318 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 Bliton 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 | #148,347 | #148,665 | -0.2% |
| Count | 111 | 111 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bliton bearers went from 111 to 111 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 318 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #148,665.
FAQ
Bliton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bliton?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Bliton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Bliton?
Bliton ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Bliton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Bliton.
Has Bliton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bliton went from 111 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Bliton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bliton, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bliton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bliton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bliton (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 Bliton mean?
A toponymic surname originating from a place named Blyton or Bliton. 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 Bliton (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 share the surname Bliton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.