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

Island, 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 Island surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Island in America

Island is the 25381st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Island surname appeared 975 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Island.

We can also compare 2010 data for Island 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 Island

The surname ISLAND originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ealand," which means "island" or "land surrounded by water." This surname likely referred to someone who lived on an island or near a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ISLAND can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "de Insula" or "de l'Isle." This Latin form of the name suggests that the bearer may have lived on an island or near an inlet or estuary.

In the 13th century, the surname ISLAND appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, which mentioned a John de Insula in 1273. The name was also found in other counties, including Oxfordshire and Suffolk, indicating its widespread use across England.

Notable individuals who bore the surname ISLAND include:

1. William de Insula (c. 1120-1187), a medieval English cleric and writer who served as Archdeacon of Worcester.
2. Henry de Insula (fl. 1220-1240), an English judge and landowner who held estates in Shropshire and Herefordshire.
3. Roger de l'Isle (c. 1300-1361), a renowned English knight and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
4. William Island (c. 1440-1508), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset.
5. John Island (c. 1570-1625), an English clergyman and academic who became the President of St. Mary's College, Oxford.

Variations of the surname ISLAND include Islande, Iland, Ilande, and Yland, which were common spellings in medieval and early modern records. Some of these forms may have derived from place names, such as the Isle of Wight or other island locations in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Island

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

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

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

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