Explore the Family Name Arbuthnot

The meaning of Arbuthnot

Scottish and northern Irish: habitational name from a place called Arbuthnott, in Kincardineshire, south of Aberdeen, earlier Aberbuthnot, a Pictish placename from aber ‘confluence’ + the stream name Buadhnat (the Gaelic form) meaning ‘virtuous’ or ‘healing’, i.e. the stream was regarded as holy, with healing properties.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Arbuthnot in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Arbuthnot has had slight changes in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 30,120th most popular surname and climbed to the 31,412th spot by 2010, a decrease of 4.29% in popularity. The count of people bearing this surname has marginally increased from 734 in 2000 to 737 in 2010, demonstrating a growth of 0.41%. However, when considering the proportion per 100k individuals, the occurrence of the Arbuthnot surname decreased by 7.41%, moving from 0.27 to 0.25.

20002010Change
Rank#30,120#31,412-4.29%
Count7347370.41%
Proportion per 100k0.270.25-7.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Arbuthnot

Regarding ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals some shifts between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of Arbuthnots identified as White decreased from 72.62% to 65.54%, a change of -9.75%. Conversely, those identifying as Black experienced an increase, rising from 25.75% to 29.85%, marking a 15.92% change. Interestingly, the Hispanic representation within the Arbuthnot surname also saw considerable growth, increasing from 0.82% in 2000 to 3.66% in 2010, a striking 346.34% change. No data was available for the categories of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year, and there were no individuals with the Arbuthnot surname who identified as belonging to two or more races.

20002010Change
White72.62%65.54%-9.75%
Black25.75%29.85%15.92%
Hispanic0.82%3.66%346.34%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%