Explore the Family Name Salt
The meaning of Salt
1. English: habitational name from Salt (Staffordshire), from Old English selte ‘salt pit’. Occasionally the name may be a nickname for a producer or seller of salt, from Middle English salt ‘salt’ (compare Salter), but evidence is lacking. 2. Native American (Navajo): from a translation into English of the name of the Navajo clan Áshįįhi ‘Salt People’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Salt in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Salt has experienced a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 21,880 amongst all surnames in the U.S., and by 2010, it had dropped to rank 23,153. This represents a change of -5.82 percent. The actual count of individuals with this surname also declined slightly from 1,107 in 2000 to 1,102 in 2010, a drop of 0.45 percent. Similarly, the proportion of people named Salt per 100,000 residents decreased by 9.76 percent from 0.41 in 2000 to 0.37 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #21,880 | #23,153 | -5.82% |
| Count | 1,107 | 1,102 | -0.45% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.41 | 0.37 | -9.76% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Salt
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Salt has shown some changes as well, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. Between 2000 and 2010, there was an increase in the proportion of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and Hispanic, with changes of 47.29 percent and 94.44 percent respectively. However, those identifying as White saw a decline of 6.00 percent. The data for those identifying as Two or More Races and Black was suppressed for the year 2010. Meanwhile, the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals with the surname Salt saw a modest increase of 5.74 percent over the decade.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 61.79% | 58.08% | -6% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 29.09% | 30.76% | 5.74% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.25% | 6.26% | 47.29% |
| Hispanic | 1.26% | 2.45% | 94.44% |
| Two or More Races | 2.71% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0.9% | 0% | 0% |