2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Singlton
An English surname indicating someone from a single small town or settlement.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Singlton. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Singlton 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.
Bearers in the US
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Singlton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Singlton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 62.0%. The next largest groups are White (30.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Singlton
The surname Singleton has its origins in England, where it first emerged in the late 12th century. It is a locational name, referring to someone who lived in a single or solitary homestead or farm. The name is derived from the Old English words "singl" and "tun," meaning "single" and "enclosure" or "homestead," respectively.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Singleton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire from 1195, where a Walter de Singletone is mentioned. The surname also appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1208, referencing a Robert de Singletoune.
In the 13th century, the surname Singleton was well-established in Lancashire, particularly in the area around Singleton, a village near Poulton-le-Fylde. The village's name, recorded asSingletun in the Domesday Book of 1086, is thought to be the source of the surname.
Notable individuals with the surname Singleton include Robert Singleton (c. 1510-1570), an English Catholic priest and martyr who was executed during the Elizabethan period for his religious beliefs. Another prominent figure was Sir John Singleton (1588-1644), a British lawyer and politician who served as Speaker of the House of Commons from 1623 to 1625.
In the 17th century, the Singleton family established themselves as landowners and gentry in Lancashire. One notable member was Henry Singleton (1638-1700), a wealthy merchant and landowner who served as High Sheriff of Lancashire in 1688.
Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Singleton in America was William Singleton (c. 1635-1690), a planter and landowner in Virginia. He was a prominent figure in the colony and served as a member of the House of Burgesses.
Another notable American with the surname Singleton was Otis Singleton (1914-2008), a jazz drummer and percussionist who played with various notable musicians, including Dizzy Gillespie and Charles Mingus.
In the literary world, Mary Singleton (1844-1921) was an English novelist and children's author who wrote under the pen name Mary Singleton.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals who have borne the surname Singleton throughout history, a name that has its roots in the English countryside and has since spread across the globe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Singlton
Among Census respondents with the surname Singlton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 62.0%. The next largest groups are White (30.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Singlton 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 Singlton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American62.0% · 67
- White30.6% · 33
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Singlton
Singlton 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+10 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 379 places
2020
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-28 bearers (-20.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,917 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +10 bearers (+7.9%) | Down 379 places |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-20.6%) | Down 24,917 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 Singlton 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 | #126,018 | #150,935 | -19.8% |
| Count | 136 | 108 | -20.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -27.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Singlton bearers went from 136 to 108 (-20.6% change). The surname moved down 24,917 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #150,935.
FAQ
Singlton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Singlton?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Singlton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Singlton?
Singlton ranks #150,935 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 108 people with the surname Singlton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Singlton.
Has Singlton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Singlton went from 136 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 28 (-20.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Singlton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Singlton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 62.0%. The next largest groups are White (30.6%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Singlton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.0% (67 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Singlton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (62.0%), White (30.6%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Singlton (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 Singlton mean?
An English surname indicating someone from a single small town or settlement. 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 Singlton (0.04 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 have the surname Singlton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.