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

Johnston, 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 Johnston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Johnston in America

Johnston is the 225th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Johnston surname appeared 131,373 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 45 people would have the surname Johnston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Johnston 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 Johnston

The surname Johnston has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "John" and "toun," meaning "John's town" or "John's settlement." The name likely originated as a geographical reference to people residing in a town or village associated with someone named John.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls that recorded individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland. The name appears as "Johan de Jonestone" in these rolls, referencing a place name that is now spelled as "Johnstone."

The Johnston surname has been prevalent in various regions of Scotland, including Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, and Dumfriesshire. In Renfrewshire, the Johnston family were prominent landowners and held the Barony of Johnstone in the 13th century. One notable member of this family was Sir John de Jonestone, who was a signatory to the Ragman Rolls in 1296.

In Ayrshire, the Johnston family were landowners in the parish of Ochiltree. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in this area is from a charter dated 1451, which mentions John Johnston of Polquhairn.

The surname also has a strong presence in the Borders region of Scotland, particularly in Dumfriesshire. Here, the Johnstons were a powerful clan, and their chief was known as the "Laird of Johnstone." One of the most famous members of this clan was Archibald Johnston, who was born in 1611 and served as a military leader during the English Civil War.

Other notable individuals with the Johnston surname include:

1. Joseph Eccleston Johnston (1807-1891), a Confederate general during the American Civil War.
2. John Johnston (1565-1611), a Scottish writer and theologian known for his work "An Apologie of the Kingdom and Church of Scotland."
3. Mary Johnston (1870-1936), an American novelist best known for her historical fiction works such as "To Have and to Hold."
4. Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston (1858-1927), a British explorer, botanist, and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of several British territories in Africa.
5. Samuel Johnston (1733-1816), an American statesman and jurist who served as the governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789.

The Johnston surname has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, military leaders, writers, and statesmen. Its Scottish origins and geographical associations have contributed to its enduring legacy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Johnston

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

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

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

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