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

Singletary, 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 Singletary surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Singletary in America

Singletary is the 2622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Singletary surname appeared 13,749 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 Singletary.

We can also compare 2010 data for Singletary 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 Singletary

The surname Singletary is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "singal" meaning "single" or "unmarried." It is believed to have originated in the 12th or 13th century as a descriptive surname given to individuals who were unmarried or lived alone.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which mentions a John Sengeltre. This variation in spelling was common in medieval times due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.

In the 14th century, the surname Singletary appeared in various forms, such as Syngelton, Syngleton, and Syngiltone, reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling. These variations can be found in various historical records, including the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332 and the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379.

The name is also associated with certain place names, such as Singleton in Lancashire, England, which may have influenced the development of the surname in some cases. The earliest known bearer of the name Singletary linked to this place name was Robert de Singletone, mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Cheshire in 1212.

Notable individuals bearing the Singletary surname throughout history include:

1. Sir Philbert Singletary (c. 1550-1620), an English merchant and member of the East India Company who played a significant role in establishing trade routes with India and the Far East.

2. Elizabeth Singletary (1633-1708), an early American settler and landowner in Virginia, known for her involvement in legal disputes over land ownership rights.

3. John Singletary (1768-1842), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and participated in several notable battles, including the Battle of Trafalgar.

4. William Singletary (1810-1892), an American politician and lawyer who served as a U.S. Representative from North Carolina from 1858 to 1861.

5. Samantha Singletary (1877-1963), a British suffragette and activist who campaigned for women's right to vote and played a crucial role in the suffrage movement in the early 20th century.

While the surname Singletary may have originated as a descriptive name for unmarried individuals, it has evolved over centuries and become associated with various historical figures and locations across England and beyond.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Singletary

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

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

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

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