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

Stanton, 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 Stanton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Stanton in America

Stanton is the 968th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Stanton surname appeared 35,997 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 12 people would have the surname Stanton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Stanton 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 Stanton

The surname Stanton has its origins in England, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the Anglo-Saxon period. It is derived from the Old English words "stan" meaning stone and "tun" meaning town or settlement, suggesting that it was originally a place name referring to a settlement near a prominent stone or rocky area.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Stanton can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as a place name in several English counties, including Staffordshire, Derbyshire, and Oxfordshire. This suggests that the surname likely originated as a locational name, referring to someone who lived in or near one of the places called Stanton.

In the 12th century, a notable figure named William de Stanton was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire, indicating the use of Stanton as a surname during this period. Another early record is from 1273, when a Henry de Stanton was mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire.

Throughout history, the Stanton surname has undergone various spelling variations, including Staunton, Stantoun, and Stantone, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations in record-keeping. These variations were common in the Middle Ages before standardized spelling became more widespread.

Notable individuals who bore the Stanton surname include Sir Thomas Stanton (1548-1618), an English diplomat and member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another notable figure was Michael Stanhope (1508-1552), an English Protestant reformer and religious writer who was burned at the stake for heresy during the reign of Queen Mary I.

In the United States, one of the earliest recorded instances of the Stanton surname was Thomas Stanton (1616-1677), an English-born settler who became an interpreter and colonial leader in Connecticut. He played a significant role in negotiating with Native American tribes and helped establish the town of Stonington, Connecticut.

Other notable individuals with the Stanton surname include Elizabeth Cady Stanton (1815-1902), a prominent American social activist and leading figure in the early women's rights movement, and Edwin M. Stanton (1814-1869), an American lawyer and politician who served as the United States Secretary of War during the American Civil War under President Abraham Lincoln.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Stanton

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!