2000
#2,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,564
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.29
Uncommon Last name
Slone
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Sluagháin," meaning "descendant of the raider" or "descendant of the expedition leader."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,245 Americans carry the last name Slone. That puts it at #3,036 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.86 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,878 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slone 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 Slone with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
13K
1 in 25,878
Census rank
#3,036
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,550 bearers of the surname Slone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.86 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3036th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slone, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slone
The surname Slone originated in the English counties of Derbyshire and Staffordshire during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word 'slā,' meaning a muddy or slippery place. This suggests that the name may have referred to someone who lived near a marshy area or a muddy roadway.
Slone is believed to be a locational surname, originating from a place called Slone in Derbyshire. The earliest known record of this name appears in the Derbyshire Feet of Fines from 1199, where a certain Roger de Slone is mentioned.
In the 13th century, the surname appears in various forms, including Slone, Sloone, and Sloon. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 list a John de Slone from Derbyshire, indicating the surname's early establishment in the region.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Henry Slone, a landowner from Staffordshire who lived during the reign of King Edward III (1327-1377). Records from the time mention Henry Slone's involvement in local disputes over land ownership.
Another notable figure was William Slone, a wealthy merchant from Derbyshire who lived in the late 15th century. His name appears in the Derbyshire Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1480, indicating his status as a taxpayer.
In the 16th century, the surname spread beyond its origins in Derbyshire and Staffordshire. The Heralds' Visitations of Staffordshire in 1583 mention a Richard Slone of Uttoxeter, a town in Staffordshire. This record suggests that the name had become established in other parts of the county by this time.
During the English Civil War (1642-1651), a Captain John Slone served in the Parliamentarian forces under Oliver Cromwell. He is mentioned in several contemporary accounts of the conflict, notably for his participation in the Battle of Naseby in 1645.
In the 18th century, the surname Slone was found in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire, where a family of Slones lived in the town of Stroud. One notable member of this family was William Slone (1700-1768), a successful wool merchant and landowner.
Throughout its history, the surname Slone has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, soldiers, and tradespeople. While not a particularly common name, it has maintained a presence in England for centuries, reflecting the country's rich tapestry of local history and heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slone
Among Census respondents with the surname Slone, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Slone 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 Slone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 10,653
- Two or more races3.5% · 406
- Black or African American1.7% · 199
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 197
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slone
Slone 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
#2,956
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,142
+578 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 4.12
Rank movement Down 109 places
2020
#3,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,550
-592 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 3.86
Rank movement Down 80 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,847 | 11,564 | 4.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,956 | 12,142 | 4.12 | +578 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 109 places |
| 2020 | #3,036 | 11,550 | 3.86 | -592 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 80 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 Slone 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 | #2,956 | #3,036 | -2.7% |
| Count | 12,142 | 11,550 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 4.12 | 3.86 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slone bearers went from 12,142 to 11,550 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 80 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,956 to #3,036.
FAQ
Slone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slone?
Name Census estimates that about 13,245 living Americans carry the surname Slone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,878 residents.
How common is Slone?
Slone ranks #3,036 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.86 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,550 people with the surname Slone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,245), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.86 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.86 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Slone.
Has Slone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slone went from 12,142 recorded bearers to 11,550. That is a decrease of 592 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,956 to #3,036.
What does the Census say about the background of Slone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slone, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Black (1.7%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Slone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (10,653 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Black (1.7%). 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 Slone (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 Slone mean?
An Irish surname derived from the Gaelic "Ó Sluagháin," meaning "descendant of the raider" or "descendant of the expedition leader." 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 Slone (3.86 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 Slone?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Slone, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.