2000
#5,248
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.26
Rare Last name
Ison
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Isa, a diminutive form of Isaac, meaning "he will laugh."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,461 Americans carry the last name Ison. That puts it at #5,187 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,939 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ison 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 Ison with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.5K
1 in 45,939
Census rank
#5,187
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,506 bearers of the surname Ison in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5187th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ison, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ison
The surname Ison has its origins in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "isen," meaning "iron," suggesting that the name's earliest bearers may have been blacksmiths or workers in the iron trade.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Assize Rolls of Yorkshire from 1219, which mentions a person named William Ison. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also record several individuals with the surname Ison in various counties across England.
During the Middle Ages, the name Ison appeared in various spellings, such as Ison, Isoun, and Isun, reflecting the variations in pronunciation and regional dialects. Some sources suggest that the name may have also been associated with place names like Isondon (now Islington) in London or Isenhurst (now Isenhurst) in Kent.
Notable individuals bearing the surname Ison include Sir John Ison (1518-1596), a prominent English merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths in London. Another figure was William Ison (1695-1783), a renowned clockmaker from Lincolnshire, whose works are still highly regarded by collectors.
In the literary realm, Thomas Ison (1770-1848) was an English poet and schoolmaster, known for his collection of poems titled "Poems, Descriptive and Miscellaneous." Additionally, Richard Ison (1797-1871) was a notable English composer and organist who served as the organist of St. Paul's Cathedral in London.
Moving into the 19th century, we find John Ison (1824-1888), a prominent English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Bethnal Green Museum. Another figure from this period was Mary Ison (1860-1938), a British educator and philanthropist who founded several schools for underprivileged children in London.
These examples illustrate the rich history and diverse backgrounds of individuals bearing the surname Ison, which has its roots firmly planted in the English heritage and traditions of the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ison
Among Census respondents with the surname Ison, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Ison 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 Ison surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.3% · 5,353
- Black or African American6.1% · 395
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.8% · 313
- Two or more races4.3% · 280
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ison
Ison 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
#5,213
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,697
+587 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 2.27
Rank movement Up 35 places
2020
#5,187
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,506
-191 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Up 26 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,248 | 6,110 | 2.26 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,213 | 6,697 | 2.27 | +587 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 35 places |
| 2020 | #5,187 | 6,506 | 2.18 | -191 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 26 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 Ison 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 | #5,213 | #5,187 | 0.5% |
| Count | 6,697 | 6,506 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.27 | 2.18 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ison bearers went from 6,697 to 6,506 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 26 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,213 to #5,187.
FAQ
Ison surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ison?
Name Census estimates that about 7,461 living Americans carry the surname Ison. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,939 residents.
How common is Ison?
Ison ranks #5,187 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.18 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 6,506 people with the surname Ison. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,461), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.18 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 Ison.
Has Ison become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ison went from 6,697 recorded bearers to 6,506. That is a decrease of 191 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,213 to #5,187.
What does the Census say about the background of Ison?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ison, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.3%. The next largest groups are Black (6.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Ison in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.3% (5,353 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ison appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.3%), Black (6.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.8%). 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 Ison (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 Ison mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Isa, a diminutive form of Isaac, meaning "he will laugh." 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 Ison (2.18 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 have the last name Ison?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Ison on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.