2000
#2,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,667
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.07
Uncommon Last name
Minton
A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "estate of Mynta" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,699 Americans carry the last name Minton. That puts it at #2,736 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Minton 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 Minton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,318
Census rank
#2,736
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,818 bearers of the surname Minton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2736th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Minton, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Minton
The surname Minton is believed to have originated in England, likely during the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "mynet" or "mynyt," meaning "a small hill" or "a hillock." The name was likely given to someone who lived near a small hill or elevated area.
The earliest recorded instances of the Minton surname can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. This suggests that the name was already established in the country by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Minton name was William de Minton, who was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1203. The Pipe Rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer, and the inclusion of William's name indicates that he was a landowner or held some form of property at the time.
The Minton surname is also associated with several place names in England, such as Minton in Shropshire and Minton in Staffordshire. These locations likely took their names from the Old English words mentioned earlier, and the surname may have originated from these areas.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals with the Minton surname:
1. Thomas Minton (1765-1836), a renowned English potter and founder of the Minton pottery company in Stoke-on-Trent.
2. Sir Henry Minton (1856-1940), a British engineer and industrialist who served as the chairman of the Minton pottery company.
3. John Minton (1917-1957), an English painter and artist known for his distinctive style and contributions to the Neo-Romantic movement.
4. Samuel Minton (1784-1859), an English manufacturer and partner in the Minton pottery company, known for his innovations in ceramic production.
5. Herbert Minton (1867-1945), a British politician and member of parliament who represented the Conservative Party.
The Minton surname has a rich history and can be traced back to the medieval period in England, with connections to various place names and a strong association with the pottery industry in Stoke-on-Trent.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Minton
Among Census respondents with the surname Minton, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Minton 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 Minton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 11,122
- Black or African American5.0% · 636
- Two or more races4.4% · 560
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 356
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 72
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 72
Timeline
Historical Census data for Minton
Minton 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
#2,626
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,737
+70 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 4.66
Rank movement Down 200 places
2020
#2,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,818
-919 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 4.29
Rank movement Down 110 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,426 | 13,667 | 5.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,626 | 13,737 | 4.66 | +70 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 200 places |
| 2020 | #2,736 | 12,818 | 4.29 | -919 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 110 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 Minton 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 | #2,626 | #2,736 | -4.2% |
| Count | 13,737 | 12,818 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 4.66 | 4.29 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Minton bearers went from 13,737 to 12,818 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 110 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,626 to #2,736.
FAQ
Minton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Minton?
Name Census estimates that about 14,699 living Americans carry the surname Minton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,318 residents.
How common is Minton?
Minton ranks #2,736 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.29 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,818 people with the surname Minton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,699), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.29 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Minton.
Has Minton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Minton went from 13,737 recorded bearers to 12,818. That is a decrease of 919 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,626 to #2,736.
What does the Census say about the background of Minton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Minton, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Black (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Minton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (11,122 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Minton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Black (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Minton (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 Minton mean?
A toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "estate of Mynta" in Old English. 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 Minton (4.29 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 are called Minton?
You can see how common the surname Minton is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.