2000
#584
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 51,797
First available Census row
Per 100,000 19.20
Uncommon Last name
Singleton
An English occupational surname referring to a person who lived or worked on a farmstead occupied by only one family.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 59,828 Americans carry the last name Singleton. That puts it at #632 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 17.46 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 5,729 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Singleton 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 Singleton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
60K
1 in 5,729
Census rank
#632
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
17.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
52K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 52,173 bearers of the surname Singleton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 17.46 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 632nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Singleton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.8%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Singleton
Among Census respondents with the surname Singleton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.8%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Singleton 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 Singleton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American46.8% · 24,418
- White44.6% · 23,249
- Two or more races4.6% · 2,403
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 1,614
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 274
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 215
Timeline
Historical Census data for Singleton
Singleton 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
#622
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 54,621
+2,824 bearers (+5.5%)
Per 100,000 18.52
Rank movement Down 38 places
2020
#632
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 52,173
-2,448 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 17.46
Rank movement Down 10 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #584 | 51,797 | 19.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #622 | 54,621 | 18.52 | +2,824 bearers (+5.5%) | Down 38 places |
| 2020 | #632 | 52,173 | 17.46 | -2,448 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 10 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 Singleton 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 | #622 | #632 | -1.6% |
| Count | 54,621 | 52,173 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 18.52 | 17.46 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Singleton bearers went from 54,621 to 52,173 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 10 positions in the national ranking, going from #622 to #632.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Singleton
FAQ
Singleton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Singleton?
Name Census estimates that about 59,828 living Americans carry the surname Singleton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 5,729 residents.
How common is Singleton?
Singleton ranks #632 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 17.46 per 100,000 residents, which is about 17 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 52,173 people with the surname Singleton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (59,828), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 17.46 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 17.46 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 17 of them to have the surname Singleton.
Has Singleton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Singleton went from 54,621 recorded bearers to 52,173. That is a decrease of 2,448 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #622 to #632.
What does the Census say about the background of Singleton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Singleton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 46.8%. The next largest groups are White (44.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Singleton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 46.8% (24,418 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Singleton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (46.8%), White (44.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Singleton (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 Singleton mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a person who lived or worked on a farmstead occupied by only one family. 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 Singleton (17.46 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 common is the surname Singleton?
If you just want to know how many people are called Singleton, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.