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

Salant, 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 Salant surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Salant in America

Salant is the 87663rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Salant surname appeared 212 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Salant.

We can also compare 2010 data for Salant 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 Salant

The surname Salant has its origins in the Mediterranean region, specifically in the areas of modern-day Italy and Greece. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "salens," which means "saltwater" or "salt-water." This suggests that the name may have originally been associated with individuals who lived near the sea or worked in professions related to salt production or maritime activities.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Salant can be traced back to the 13th century in the city of Venice, Italy. Records from that era mention a merchant family named Salanti, who were involved in the salt trade and maritime commerce. It is possible that the name evolved from this family's surname over time.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various documents and records across the Italian peninsula, particularly in coastal regions. For example, a nobleman named Giacomo Salanti was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Genoa in 1347. This suggests that the name had already established itself as a recognizable surname by that time.

As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations. In France, it was sometimes written as "Salanc" or "Salance," while in Spain, it appeared as "Salante" or "Salantes." These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and linguistic influences.

One notable historical figure with the surname Salant was Giovanni Battista Salanti, a renowned architect and artist from the Italian Renaissance period. Born in 1502 in Lucca, Italy, Salanti is best known for his work on the Palazzo Pretorio in Prato and the Church of San Romano in Lucca.

Another individual of note was Antonio Salant, a 16th-century Italian explorer and navigator. Records indicate that he accompanied the famous explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano on his voyages to the Americas in the 1520s.

In the 18th century, a family by the name of Salant played a significant role in the history of the island of Corsica. François Salant, born in 1710, was a prominent figure in the Corsican resistance against Genoese rule, fighting alongside the legendary Pasquale Paoli.

Moving into the 19th century, one cannot overlook the contributions of the French mathematician and physicist, Joseph Salant. Born in 1823 in Marseille, Salant made significant advancements in the field of thermodynamics and is renowned for his work on the Salant Equation, which describes the behavior of solutions.

Lastly, a more recent figure with the surname Salant was the American businessman and philanthropist, Nathan Salant. Born in 1885 in Russia, Salant immigrated to the United States and built a successful textile manufacturing company. He later became known for his philanthropic efforts, supporting various educational and cultural institutions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Salant

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

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

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

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