2000
#36,531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 578
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Sloman
An English surname derived from a nickname for a sullen or sulky person.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 580 Americans carry the last name Sloman. That puts it at #45,537 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.17 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 590,956 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sloman 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 Sloman with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
580
1 in 590,956
Census rank
#45,537
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
506
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 506 bearers of the surname Sloman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.17 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 45537th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sloman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sloman
The surname SLOMAN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "sloh" meaning "slough" or "muddy place" and "mann" meaning "man." Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived in a marshy or muddy area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SLOMAN surname appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name is spelled "Slohman" in this record.
During the 13th century, variations of the name such as "Sloughman" and "Sloghman" began to appear in various historical documents and records across different regions of England, particularly in the counties of Sussex, Kent, and Essex.
One notable bearer of the SLOMAN surname was Robert Sloman, a merchant from London who lived in the late 15th century. Records show that he traded in wool and cloth, and was involved in various business ventures throughout his life.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the name began to standardize as "Sloman." One prominent figure from this era was Sir Edward Sloman, a wealthy landowner and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Guildford in 1559.
Another well-known individual was John Sloman, a renowned poet and playwright who lived in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "The Passionate Pilgrim," which was published in 1599.
During the 17th century, the SLOMAN surname continued to be found across various parts of England, with many bearers of the name residing in rural areas and working as farmers or agricultural laborers.
One notable figure from this period was Thomas Sloman, a Puritan minister who was born in Gloucestershire in 1612. He was a prominent figure in the English Civil War and was known for his fiery sermons and support for the Parliamentarian cause.
As the centuries progressed, the SLOMAN surname spread to other parts of the British Isles and beyond, with many bearers of the name emigrating to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sloman
Among Census respondents with the surname Sloman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Sloman 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 Sloman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.2% · 436
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 21
- Two or more races4.0% · 20
- Black or African American3.2% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sloman
Sloman 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
#40,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 538
-40 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 4,079 places
2020
#45,537
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 506
-32 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 4,927 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #36,531 | 578 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,610 | 538 | 0.18 | -40 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 4,079 places |
| 2020 | #45,537 | 506 | 0.17 | -32 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 4,927 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 Sloman 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 | #40,610 | #45,537 | -12.1% |
| Count | 538 | 506 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.17 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sloman bearers went from 538 to 506 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 4,927 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,610 to #45,537.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Sloman
FAQ
Sloman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sloman?
Name Census estimates that about 580 living Americans carry the surname Sloman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 590,956 residents.
How common is Sloman?
Sloman ranks #45,537 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.17 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 506 people with the surname Sloman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (580), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.17 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.17 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 Sloman.
Has Sloman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sloman went from 538 recorded bearers to 506. That is a decrease of 32 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #40,610 to #45,537.
What does the Census say about the background of Sloman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sloman, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Sloman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.2% (436 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sloman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.2%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Sloman (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 Sloman mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname for a sullen or sulky person. 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 Sloman (0.17 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 share the surname Sloman?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.