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

Singleton, 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 Singleton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Singleton in America

Singleton is the 622nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Singleton surname appeared 54,621 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 19 people would have the surname Singleton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Singleton 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 Singleton

The surname Singleton has its origins in England, originating in the late 12th century. It is a locational surname, derived from various places named 'Singleton' in counties such as Lancashire and Sussex. The name is thought to have evolved from the Old English words 'singles' meaning 'dweller' and 'tun' meaning 'farm' or 'settlement'.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Singleton surname can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Sussex from 1195, which mentions a 'William de Singelton'. The name also appears in the Subsidy Rolls of Lancashire from 1332, referring to a 'Henricus de Syngelton'.

Historically, the Singletons were an influential family in Lancashire, with several notable members. One such individual was Thomas Singleton (c.1550-1614), a Catholic recusant and landowner who was implicated in the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. Another prominent Singleton was Henry Singleton (1766-1839), a renowned botanist and horticulturist who established the Singleton Nursery in London.

The surname Singleton has also been associated with various place names throughout England, such as Singleton in West Sussex, which was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as 'Sengelton'. Other place names linked to the surname include Singleton Brook in Lancashire and Singleton Village in Kent.

Some other notable individuals with the surname Singleton include:

1. Isaac Singleton (1709-1768), an English mathematician and inventor of the "Singleton's Paradox" in set theory.
2. Mary Singleton (1844-1922), an American novelist and playwright, best known for her works exploring the experiences of women in the post-Civil War era.
3. Arthur Singleton (1855-1920), a British explorer and naturalist who led expeditions to the Arctic regions and documented the flora and fauna of the region.
4. Zutty Singleton (1898-1975), an American jazz drummer and bandleader, considered one of the most influential drummers of the early jazz era.
5. Penny Singleton (1908-2003), an American actress best known for her portrayal of Blondie in the popular "Blondie" film series based on the comic strip.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Singleton

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

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

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

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