2000
#26,642
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 860
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.32
Rare Last name
Island
A surname originating from someone living on an island or from an island location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,125 Americans carry the last name Island. That puts it at #26,238 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 304,671 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Island 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
1.1K
1 in 304,671
Census rank
#26,238
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
981
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 981 bearers of the surname Island in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 26238th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Island, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and Hispanic (9.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Island
The surname ISLAND originated in England during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "ealand," which means "island" or "land surrounded by water." This surname likely referred to someone who lived on an island or near a body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ISLAND can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "de Insula" or "de l'Isle." This Latin form of the name suggests that the bearer may have lived on an island or near an inlet or estuary.
In the 13th century, the surname ISLAND appeared in various records, such as the Hundred Rolls of Cambridgeshire, which mentioned a John de Insula in 1273. The name was also found in other counties, including Oxfordshire and Suffolk, indicating its widespread use across England.
Notable individuals who bore the surname ISLAND include:
1. William de Insula (c. 1120-1187), a medieval English cleric and writer who served as Archdeacon of Worcester.
2. Henry de Insula (fl. 1220-1240), an English judge and landowner who held estates in Shropshire and Herefordshire.
3. Roger de l'Isle (c. 1300-1361), a renowned English knight and military commander who fought in the Hundred Years' War.
4. William Island (c. 1440-1508), an English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Somerset.
5. John Island (c. 1570-1625), an English clergyman and academic who became the President of St. Mary's College, Oxford.
Variations of the surname ISLAND include Islande, Iland, Ilande, and Yland, which were common spellings in medieval and early modern records. Some of these forms may have derived from place names, such as the Isle of Wight or other island locations in England.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Island
Among Census respondents with the surname Island, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and Hispanic (9.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Island 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 Island surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American59.8% · 587
- White18.9% · 185
- Hispanic or Latino9.7% · 95
- Two or more races7.7% · 76
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.0% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Island
Island 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
#25,381
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 975
+115 bearers (+13.4%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Up 1,261 places
2020
#26,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 981
+6 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.33
Rank movement Down 857 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,642 | 860 | 0.32 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #25,381 | 975 | 0.33 | +115 bearers (+13.4%) | Up 1,261 places |
| 2020 | #26,238 | 981 | 0.33 | +6 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 857 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 Island 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 | #25,381 | #26,238 | -3.4% |
| Count | 975 | 981 | 0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.33 | 0.33 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Island bearers went from 975 to 981 (+0.6% change). The surname moved down 857 positions in the national ranking, going from #25,381 to #26,238.
FAQ
Island surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Island?
Name Census estimates that about 1,125 living Americans carry the surname Island. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 304,671 residents.
How common is Island?
Island ranks #26,238 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.33 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 981 people with the surname Island. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.33 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 Island.
Has Island become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Island went from 975 recorded bearers to 981. That is an increase of 6 (+0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #25,381 to #26,238.
What does the Census say about the background of Island?
Among Census respondents with the surname Island, the largest self-reported group is Black at 59.8%. The next largest groups are White (18.9%) and Hispanic (9.7%). 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 Island in the 2020 Census, accounting for 59.8% (587 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Island appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (59.8%), White (18.9%), Hispanic (9.7%). 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 Island (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 Island mean?
A surname originating from someone living on an island or from an island location. 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 Island (0.33 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 Island?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Island at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.