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

Johnstone, 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 Johnstone surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Johnstone in America

Johnstone is the 4825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Johnstone surname appeared 7,313 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Johnstone.

We can also compare 2010 data for Johnstone 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 Johnstone

The surname Johnstone has its origins in Scotland, tracing back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "Johan" and "tun," meaning "John's town" or "John's settlement." The name was initially associated with individuals residing in the town of Johnstone, located in Renfrewshire, Scotland.

The earliest recorded instances of the Johnstone surname can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a collection of homage rolls documenting Scottish nobles and landowners swearing fealty to King Edward I of England. One notable entry is that of Gilbert de Jonestone, a landowner from Dumfriesshire.

Throughout the Middle Ages, the Johnstone family played a significant role in Scottish history. In the 14th century, Sir John Johnstone was a prominent figure who fought alongside King Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence. His descendants, the Johnstones of Annandale, became one of the most influential families in the region.

The Johnstone surname has also been recorded in various historical documents, such as the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland (1264-1600) and the Register of the Great Seal of Scotland (1306-1688). These records provide insights into the family's land holdings, transactions, and notable individuals.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Johnstone surname was Sir Adam Johnstone, who lived in the 13th century and was a prominent landowner in Annandale. Another notable figure was John Johnstone (1570-1611), a Scottish mathematician and traveler who explored parts of Europe and published works on navigation and cartography.

In the 16th century, the Johnstones were embroiled in a long-standing feud with the Maxwell family, known as the "Johnstone-Maxwell Feud." This fierce rivalry between the two powerful clans lasted for several decades and was marked by numerous battles and skirmishes.

During the 17th century, James Johnstone (1616-1681) was a Scottish politician and judge who served as Lord Clerk Register and Lord Advocate of Scotland. He played a significant role in the Edinburgh Convention of Estates in 1678.

Other notable individuals with the Johnstone surname include Samuel Johnstone (1733-1816), a British colonial administrator and the first president of the Supreme Court of Virginia, and Edward Johnstone (1757-1851), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Johnstone

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

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

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

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