2000
#6,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,191
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.92
Rare Last name
Conant
Derived from a place name meaning "settlement in a valley" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,625 Americans carry the last name Conant. That puts it at #6,622 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 60,934 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Conant 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
5.6K
1 in 60,934
Census rank
#6,622
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,905 bearers of the surname Conant in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6622nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Conant, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Conant
The surname CONANT is of English origin, deriving from the Old French word 'conant', meaning 'knowing' or 'aware'. It is believed to have emerged in the 12th century as a descriptive surname, likely referring to someone who was known for their knowledge or wisdom.
The earliest recorded instances of the CONANT surname can be found in various medieval records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire from 1273, which mentions a Richard Conaunt. The Domesday Book, compiled in 1086, does not contain any direct references to the CONANT name, but it does include similar spellings like 'Conand' and 'Conant'.
Throughout history, the surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Connant, Connaunt, and Connant. Some of these variations can be traced back to specific regions or place names. For example, the Connaunt spelling was common in areas like Gloucestershire and Somerset, possibly derived from local place names.
One of the earliest notable individuals bearing the CONANT surname was Roger Conant, an English colonist who played a crucial role in the founding of Salem, Massachusetts, in 1626. He was born in East Budleigh, Devon, England, in 1592 and is considered one of the founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
Another notable figure was Thomas Conant (1597-1670), an English settler and one of the founders of the town of Beverly, Massachusetts. He was born in Budleigh, Devon, and emigrated to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1623, where he became a prominent figure in the early colonial settlement.
In the realm of literature, Rachel Field (1894-1942), an American novelist and children's writer, was born Rachel Conant. She is best known for her Newbery Medal-winning novel "Hitty, Her First Hundred Years" (1929).
The CONANT surname has also been associated with notable figures in the fields of academia and science. One such individual was James Bryant Conant (1893-1978), an American chemist and educator who served as the president of Harvard University from 1933 to 1953.
Another prominent figure was Kenneth John Conant (1894-1984), an American organic chemist and educator who made significant contributions to the field of organic chemistry. He was born in Massachusetts and served as a professor at Harvard University for many years.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the CONANT surname, showcasing its rich heritage and the diverse contributions made by those bearing this name across various fields and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Conant
Among Census respondents with the surname Conant, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Conant 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 Conant surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 4,239
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 268
- Two or more races4.0% · 194
- Black or African American2.0% · 98
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 65
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 41
Timeline
Historical Census data for Conant
Conant 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
#6,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,386
+195 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 1.83
Rank movement Down 238 places
2020
#6,622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,905
-481 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 1.64
Rank movement Down 289 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,095 | 5,191 | 1.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,333 | 5,386 | 1.83 | +195 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 238 places |
| 2020 | #6,622 | 4,905 | 1.64 | -481 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 289 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 Conant 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 | #6,333 | #6,622 | -4.6% |
| Count | 5,386 | 4,905 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.83 | 1.64 | -10.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Conant bearers went from 5,386 to 4,905 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 289 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,333 to #6,622.
FAQ
Conant surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Conant?
Name Census estimates that about 5,625 living Americans carry the surname Conant. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 60,934 residents.
How common is Conant?
Conant ranks #6,622 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.64 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 4,905 people with the surname Conant. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,625), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.64 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 Conant.
Has Conant become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Conant went from 5,386 recorded bearers to 4,905. That is a decrease of 481 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,333 to #6,622.
What does the Census say about the background of Conant?
Among Census respondents with the surname Conant, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Conant in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (4,239 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Conant appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Conant (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 Conant mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "settlement in a valley" in Old English. 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 Conant (1.64 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 Conant?
Find out how many people have the last name Conant on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.