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

Salmon, 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 Salmon surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Salmon in America

Salmon is the 2486th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Salmon surname appeared 14,511 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Salmon.

We can also compare 2010 data for Salmon 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 Salmon

The surname Salmon originated in England and can be traced back to the late 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "salor," which means "sallow" or "dark complexion." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a dark or olive-toned skin complexion.

In the early records, the name was often spelled as "Salemon" or "Saleman." One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1176, which mention a person named "Willelmus Salemon."

The Salmon name has been associated with various locations throughout England, including Salmon Brook in Buckinghamshire and Salmon's Cross in West Sussex. Additionally, there are references to places like "Salmundebi" in the Domesday Book of 1086, which may have influenced the surname's development.

One notable historical figure with the Salmon surname was John Salmon, a 17th-century English writer and antiquary born in 1675. He was known for his works on English antiquities and history, such as "The Antiquities of Surrey" and "The Lives of the English Bishops."

Another significant individual was Thomas Salmon, a 17th-century English cartographer and writer born in 1679. He published numerous works, including "A New Survey of England" and "A New Geographic and Historical Grammar."

In the 19th century, George Salmon (1819-1904) was a renowned Irish mathematician and theologian who served as the Provost of Trinity College, Dublin. He made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and was also known for his works on theology and church history.

William Salmon (1644-1713) was a notable English medical writer and physician who published several influential works on midwifery and obstetrics during the late 17th and early 18th centuries, including "The Compleat English Midwife" and "Ars Anatomica."

Thomas Salmon (1648-1706), a contemporary of William Salmon, was an English clergyman and writer who gained recognition for his historical works, such as "A Review of the History of the Royal Navy of England" and "The Present State of the Universities."

These are just a few examples of notable individuals with the Salmon surname throughout history, highlighting the name's long-standing presence and its association with various fields, including literature, cartography, mathematics, medicine, and theology.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Salmon

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

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

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

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