2000
#25,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 912
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.34
Very Rare Last name
Lampson
An English surname derived from Old English words referring to a light-keeper or lamplighter.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 937 Americans carry the last name Lampson. That puts it at #30,578 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 365,800 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lampson 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 Lampson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
937
1 in 365,800
Census rank
#30,578
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
817
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 817 bearers of the surname Lampson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 30578th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lampson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lampson
The surname Lampson has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "lamp" and "son," which together mean "son of the lamp keeper" or "son of the lamp maker." This occupational name likely referred to individuals who were responsible for maintaining lamps or producing lamp oil in churches, monasteries, or other religious establishments.
The earliest known record of the name Lampson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Richard Lampsone. Another early mention is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, where a John Lampeson is recorded as a taxpayer.
In the 14th century, the Lampson family had established roots in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Lampsone, Lampeson, and Lampson, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time.
One notable individual with the surname Lampson was Sir William Lampson (1504-1578), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1568. He was a wealthy merchant and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I for his services to the city.
Another prominent figure was John Lampson (1640-1702), a Puritan minister who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham. He was a vocal critic of the Church of England's practices and was briefly imprisoned for his nonconformist views.
In the 18th century, the Lampson family had a presence in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. One member, Richard Lampson (1715-1789), was a successful businessman and served as the Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1771.
The name Lampson also has connections to the American colonies. Thomas Lampson (1639-1703) was one of the early settlers in Ipswich, Massachusetts, arriving in the 1630s. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of New England and beyond.
Another notable figure was Benjamin Lampson (1765-1842), a Revolutionary War veteran from Connecticut who later became a prominent farmer and landowner in Onondaga County, New York. He played a role in the early development of the region and had several townships named after him.
Overall, the surname Lampson has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in medieval England and ties to various occupations, religious establishments, and prominent individuals throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lampson
Among Census respondents with the surname Lampson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lampson 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 Lampson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.5% · 715
- Hispanic or Latino6.6% · 54
- Two or more races2.8% · 23
- Black or African American2.1% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lampson
Lampson 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
#28,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 836
-76 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.28
Rank movement Down 3,059 places
2020
#30,578
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 817
-19 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 2,053 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #25,466 | 912 | 0.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #28,525 | 836 | 0.28 | -76 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 3,059 places |
| 2020 | #30,578 | 817 | 0.27 | -19 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 2,053 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 Lampson 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 | #28,525 | #30,578 | -7.2% |
| Count | 836 | 817 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.28 | 0.27 | -2.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lampson bearers went from 836 to 817 (-2.3% change). The surname moved down 2,053 positions in the national ranking, going from #28,525 to #30,578.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lampson
FAQ
Lampson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lampson?
Name Census estimates that about 937 living Americans carry the surname Lampson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 365,800 residents.
How common is Lampson?
Lampson ranks #30,578 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.27 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 817 people with the surname Lampson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (937), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.27 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 Lampson.
Has Lampson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lampson went from 836 recorded bearers to 817. That is a decrease of 19 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #28,525 to #30,578.
What does the Census say about the background of Lampson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lampson, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.6%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Lampson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (715 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lampson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.5%), Hispanic (6.6%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Lampson (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 Lampson mean?
An English surname derived from Old English words referring to a light-keeper or lamplighter. 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 Lampson (0.27 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 Americans have the surname Lampson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.