2000
#2,820
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,635
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.31
Uncommon Last name
Scanlon
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Scannláin, meaning "descendant of Scannlán," a personal name meaning "contention" or "scandalous."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 12,925 Americans carry the last name Scanlon. That puts it at #3,116 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 26,519 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Scanlon 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 Scanlon with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 26,519
Census rank
#3,116
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
11K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,271 bearers of the surname Scanlon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3116th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Scanlon, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Scanlon
The surname Scanlon originates from Ireland and dates back to the 12th century. It is an anglicized form of the Gaelic name O'Scannlain, which means "descendant of Scannlan." The name Scannlan is derived from the Gaelic words "scann" meaning ancient or old and "lan" meaning warrior or chieftain.
The Scanlon name is most associated with counties in the northern part of Ireland, particularly in Ulster and Connacht. Early records show the name appearing in the Annals of the Four Masters, a chronicle of medieval Irish history written in the 17th century, where it is spelled as O'Scannlain.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the Scanlon name dates back to the 14th century, when a John O'Scannlain was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Cloyne, a historical record of tax payments in County Cork. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings such as Scanlon, Scanlan, and Scanlan.
Notable individuals bearing the Scanlon surname include Michael Scanlon (c. 1933-2012), an Irish playwright and author known for his works like "The Cavan Cattle Raid" and "The Body Guard." Another prominent figure was Reverend Martin J. Scanlon (1910-1998), a Catholic priest and civil rights activist who fought against racial segregation in the United States.
In the realm of sports, John Scanlon (1901-1957) was an Australian rules footballer who played for the St Kilda Football Club in the 1920s. Additionally, Patrick Scanlon (1856-1927) was a Canadian politician and lawyer who served as a member of the House of Commons of Canada.
Furthermore, the Scanlon name has been associated with several place names in Ireland, such as Scanlonstwon in County Kilkenny and Scanlonstown in County Tipperary, which likely derive their names from early inhabitants with the Scanlon surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Scanlon
Among Census respondents with the surname Scanlon, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Scanlon 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 Scanlon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 10,370
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 381
- Two or more races2.8% · 321
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 119
- Black or African American0.5% · 57
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Scanlon
Scanlon 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
#3,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,610
-25 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 3.94
Rank movement Down 281 places
2020
#3,116
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,271
-339 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 3.77
Rank movement Down 15 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,820 | 11,635 | 4.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,101 | 11,610 | 3.94 | -25 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 281 places |
| 2020 | #3,116 | 11,271 | 3.77 | -339 bearers (-2.9%) | Down 15 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 Scanlon 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 | #3,101 | #3,116 | -0.5% |
| Count | 11,610 | 11,271 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 3.94 | 3.77 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Scanlon bearers went from 11,610 to 11,271 (-2.9% change). The surname moved down 15 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,101 to #3,116.
FAQ
Scanlon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Scanlon?
Name Census estimates that about 12,925 living Americans carry the surname Scanlon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 26,519 residents.
How common is Scanlon?
Scanlon ranks #3,116 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.77 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 11,271 people with the surname Scanlon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (12,925), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.77 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 Scanlon.
Has Scanlon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Scanlon went from 11,610 recorded bearers to 11,271. That is a decrease of 339 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,101 to #3,116.
What does the Census say about the background of Scanlon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Scanlon, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Scanlon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (10,370 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Scanlon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Scanlon (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 Scanlon mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic Ó Scannláin, meaning "descendant of Scannlán," a personal name meaning "contention" or "scandalous." 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 Scanlon (3.77 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 share the surname Scanlon?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.