2000
#207
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128,935
First available Census row
Per 100,000 47.80
Common Last name
Johnston
A patronymic surname meaning "son of John," derived from the given name John combined with the suffix -son.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 144,565 Americans carry the last name Johnston. That puts it at #237 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 42.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,371 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Johnston 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 Johnston with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
145K
1 in 2,371
Census rank
#237
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
42.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
126K
common in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 126,068 bearers of the surname Johnston in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 42.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 237th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Johnston, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Johnston
The surname Johnston has its origins in Scotland, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "John" and "toun," meaning "John's town" or "John's settlement." The name likely originated as a geographical reference to people residing in a town or village associated with someone named John.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of homage rolls that recorded individuals who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland. The name appears as "Johan de Jonestone" in these rolls, referencing a place name that is now spelled as "Johnstone."
The Johnston surname has been prevalent in various regions of Scotland, including Renfrewshire, Ayrshire, and Dumfriesshire. In Renfrewshire, the Johnston family were prominent landowners and held the Barony of Johnstone in the 13th century. One notable member of this family was Sir John de Jonestone, who was a signatory to the Ragman Rolls in 1296.
In Ayrshire, the Johnston family were landowners in the parish of Ochiltree. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in this area is from a charter dated 1451, which mentions John Johnston of Polquhairn.
The surname also has a strong presence in the Borders region of Scotland, particularly in Dumfriesshire. Here, the Johnstons were a powerful clan, and their chief was known as the "Laird of Johnstone." One of the most famous members of this clan was Archibald Johnston, who was born in 1611 and served as a military leader during the English Civil War.
Other notable individuals with the Johnston surname include:
1. Joseph Eccleston Johnston (1807-1891), a Confederate general during the American Civil War.
2. John Johnston (1565-1611), a Scottish writer and theologian known for his work "An Apologie of the Kingdom and Church of Scotland."
3. Mary Johnston (1870-1936), an American novelist best known for her historical fiction works such as "To Have and to Hold."
4. Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston (1858-1927), a British explorer, botanist, and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of several British territories in Africa.
5. Samuel Johnston (1733-1816), an American statesman and jurist who served as the governor of North Carolina from 1787 to 1789.
The Johnston surname has a rich history and has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, military leaders, writers, and statesmen. Its Scottish origins and geographical associations have contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Johnston
Among Census respondents with the surname Johnston, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Johnston 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 Johnston surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.3% · 111,333
- Two or more races3.9% · 4,945
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 4,719
- Black or African American2.5% · 3,107
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1,053
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 911
Timeline
Historical Census data for Johnston
Johnston 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
#225
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131,373
+2,438 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 44.54
Rank movement Down 18 places
2020
#237
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126,068
-5,305 bearers (-4.0%)
Per 100,000 42.18
Rank movement Down 12 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #207 | 128,935 | 47.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #225 | 131,373 | 44.54 | +2,438 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 18 places |
| 2020 | #237 | 126,068 | 42.18 | -5,305 bearers (-4.0%) | Down 12 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 Johnston 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 | #225 | #237 | -5.3% |
| Count | 131,373 | 126,068 | -4.0% |
| Per 100K | 44.54 | 42.18 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Johnston bearers went from 131,373 to 126,068 (-4.0% change). The surname moved down 12 positions in the national ranking, going from #225 to #237.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Johnston
FAQ
Johnston surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Johnston?
Name Census estimates that about 144,565 living Americans carry the surname Johnston. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,371 residents.
How common is Johnston?
Johnston ranks #237 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Common." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 42.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 42 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 126,068 people with the surname Johnston. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (144,565), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 42.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 42.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 42 of them to have the surname Johnston.
Has Johnston become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Johnston went from 131,373 recorded bearers to 126,068. That is a decrease of 5,305 (-4.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #225 to #237.
What does the Census say about the background of Johnston?
Among Census respondents with the surname Johnston, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.9%) and Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Johnston in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.3% (111,333 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Johnston appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%), Hispanic (3.7%). 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 Johnston (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 Johnston mean?
A patronymic surname meaning "son of John," derived from the given name John combined with the suffix -son. 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 Johnston (42.18 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 are called Johnston?
Want to know how many people have the last name Johnston? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.