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

Liston, 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 Liston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Liston in America

Liston is the 6877th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Liston surname appeared 4,888 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 Liston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Liston 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 Liston

The surname Liston originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from a place name, likely originating from the Old English words "hlithe" meaning a slope or hill, and "tun" meaning a farm or settlement. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was found in the records of Lanarkshire, Scotland, in 1296, as "Walter de Liston."

In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are several entries for places with similar names, such as "Listuna" and "Liston." These entries suggest that the name was already established in England before spreading to Scotland.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Liston was Sir Robert Liston (1742-1836), a British diplomat who served as the ambassador to the United States from 1796 to 1800. Another notable figure was Robert Liston (1794-1847), a Scottish surgeon who is considered one of the pioneers of modern surgery. He is credited with performing the first surgical operation using anesthesia in 1846.

In the 18th century, the Liston family were prominent landowners in Lanarkshire, Scotland. Their ancestral seat was Liston House, a historic estate that dates back to the 16th century. Sir William Liston (1672-1737) was a Scottish politician and judge who served as Lord Justice Clerk, one of the highest judicial offices in Scotland at the time.

During the American Revolutionary War, Sir Robert Liston (1742-1836), mentioned earlier, played a crucial role as a diplomatic envoy for the British government. He helped negotiate the Treaty of Amity, Commerce, and Navigation with the United States in 1794, which established trade relations between the two countries.

Another notable figure was Sir Ralph Liston (1785-1857), a British naval officer and diplomat who served as the Governor of the Ionian Islands (now part of Greece) from 1849 to 1851. He was instrumental in establishing British rule in the region and promoting economic and social reforms.

These are just a few examples of individuals with the surname Liston who have left their mark on history. The name has its roots in Scotland and has been associated with notable figures in diplomacy, medicine, politics, and the military over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Liston

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

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

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

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