2000
#4,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,609
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.45
Rare Last name
Slayton
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "settlement on a slippery hill."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,473 Americans carry the last name Slayton. That puts it at #5,181 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 45,866 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slayton 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
7.5K
1 in 45,866
Census rank
#5,181
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,517 bearers of the surname Slayton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5181st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slayton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slayton
The surname Slayton has its origins in England, believed to have derived from an Old English place name referring to a location with a muddy or sloppy terrain. It is closely related to the Old English word "slaec," meaning "muddy or wet place."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Slayton can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Slactun." This entry suggests that the name was already in use in parts of England during the 11th century.
In the 13th century, records show the name spelt as "Slacton" and "Slakton," further indicating its evolution from the original Old English place name. These variations highlight the regional differences in pronunciation and spelling during that time period.
The earliest known bearer of the surname Slayton was John de Slacton, who was recorded in the Curia Regis Rolls of Bedfordshire in 1224. This document provides evidence of the surname's usage in the early 13th century.
Another notable figure with the surname Slayton was Sir Richard Slayton, a prominent landowner and member of the gentry in Staffordshire during the 14th century. He was born around 1320 and played a significant role in local affairs and disputes over land ownership.
During the 16th century, the surname Slayton appeared in various records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable example is William Slayton, a wealthy merchant from London, who was born in 1542 and held significant influence in the city's trade circles.
In the 17th century, the name Slayton was found in the records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, indicating that individuals bearing this surname had emigrated from England to the New World. One such individual was Thomas Slayton, who arrived in Boston in 1638 and later settled in Watertown, Massachusetts.
Another prominent figure with the surname Slayton was Sir John Slayton, a renowned military commander who served in the English Civil War during the mid-17th century. He was born in 1610 and played a crucial role in several battles, earning recognition for his strategic leadership.
As the surname Slayton spread across different regions, various spellings emerged, such as Slaton, Slayten, and Slaytoun, reflecting the diverse regional dialects and linguistic influences. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the Old English place name reference.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slayton
Among Census respondents with the surname Slayton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Slayton 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 Slayton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.9% · 5,144
- Black or African American12.3% · 803
- Two or more races4.2% · 272
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 221
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 32
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slayton
Slayton 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
#4,969
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,069
+460 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 2.40
Rank movement Down 90 places
2020
#5,181
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,517
-552 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 2.18
Rank movement Down 212 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,879 | 6,609 | 2.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,969 | 7,069 | 2.40 | +460 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 90 places |
| 2020 | #5,181 | 6,517 | 2.18 | -552 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 212 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 Slayton 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 | #4,969 | #5,181 | -4.3% |
| Count | 7,069 | 6,517 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 2.40 | 2.18 | -9.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slayton bearers went from 7,069 to 6,517 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 212 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,969 to #5,181.
FAQ
Slayton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slayton?
Name Census estimates that about 7,473 living Americans carry the surname Slayton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 45,866 residents.
How common is Slayton?
Slayton ranks #5,181 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,517 people with the surname Slayton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,473), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Slayton.
Has Slayton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slayton went from 7,069 recorded bearers to 6,517. That is a decrease of 552 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,969 to #5,181.
What does the Census say about the background of Slayton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slayton, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Slayton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.9% (5,144 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slayton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.9%), Black (12.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Slayton (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 Slayton mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "settlement on a slippery hill." 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 Slayton (2.18 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 Slayton?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.