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

Sloan, 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 Sloan surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Sloan in America

Sloan is the 800th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Sloan surname appeared 43,261 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 15 people would have the surname Sloan.

We can also compare 2010 data for Sloan 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 Sloan

The surname Sloan has its origins in the Scottish Highlands and is derived from the Gaelic word "sloinneadh," which means "descendant" or "clan." It is believed that the name first appeared in the 12th century and was most prevalent in the regions of Argyll and the Hebrides.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Sloan can be found in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland from 1264, where a person named Gilmor Sloan is mentioned. Another early reference is in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document containing the names of Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during the Scottish Wars of Independence.

The Sloan surname has also been associated with various place names in Scotland, such as Sloan Bank and Sloan's Pend in Edinburgh, and Sloan's Glen in Ayrshire. These place names may have contributed to the spread and adoption of the surname in different regions.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the surname Sloan. One of the earliest was John Sloan (c. 1370-1456), a Scottish prelate who served as Bishop of Dunkeld and played a significant role in the negotiations between Scotland and England during the reign of King James I.

Another prominent figure was Sir Hans Sloane (1660-1753), an Irish physician and naturalist who was one of the founders of the British Museum and the Chelsea Physic Garden in London. His vast collection of natural history specimens and books became the foundation of the British Museum's collections.

In the realm of literature, John Sloan (1871-1951) was an American painter and etcher known for his works depicting urban life in New York City during the early 20th century. He was a member of the Ashcan School and is considered one of the most important American realist painters of his time.

Alfred P. Sloan (1875-1966) was an American businessman and executive who served as the president and chairman of General Motors Corporation. He is credited with pioneering many management techniques and organizational principles that became widely adopted in the automotive industry and beyond.

Finally, John Sloan Dickey (1907-1991) was an American educator and diplomat who served as the president of Dartmouth College from 1945 to 1970. He played a significant role in expanding the college's academic programs and fostering international relations during his tenure.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Sloan

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

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

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

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