2000
#9,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,077
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.14
Rare Last name
Lathan
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "barn on the hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,530 Americans carry the last name Lathan. That puts it at #9,999 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 97,098 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lathan 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 Lathan with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.5K
1 in 97,098
Census rank
#9,999
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,078 bearers of the surname Lathan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9999th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lathan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.7%. The next largest groups are White (35.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lathan
The surname LATHAN is believed to have originated in England, where it first appeared in the late 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "lathe," which referred to a district or administrative division, particularly in the counties of Kent and Sussex. This suggests that the name may have been locational, indicating a person's place of origin or residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LATHAN can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Essex from 1195, where a certain Robert de Lathon is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been spelled as "Lathon" or "Laton" before evolving into its current form.
In the 13th century, the name appears in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which list individuals with the surname LATHAN residing in various counties across England. One notable example is William de Lathon, who was recorded as holding lands in Oxfordshire during this period.
The LATHAN surname may also be associated with certain place names, such as Lathom in Lancashire, which was once spelled as "Lathun" or "Lathon." This connection could indicate that some bearers of the name may have originated from or resided in this area.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the LATHAN surname. One example is John Lathan (c. 1554-1598), an English clergyman and author who served as the Rector of Remenham in Berkshire. Another is Robert Lathan (c. 1625-1689), an English mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of optics and the construction of telescopes.
In the 18th century, Sir Thomas Lathan (1701-1781) was a prominent British naval officer who served as the Governor of Grenada from 1771 to 1775. During the same period, William Lathan (1726-1787) was a notable English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings in London, including the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden.
In the 19th century, Edward Lathan (1837-1914) was a British architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in London and the surrounding areas. He was also a Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects.
The LATHAN surname has a rich history that can be traced back to its English origins and locational associations. While its precise derivation remains uncertain, the name has been borne by numerous individuals throughout the centuries, including clergymen, scholars, naval officers, and architects.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lathan
Among Census respondents with the surname Lathan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.7%. The next largest groups are White (35.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lathan 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 Lathan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American54.7% · 1,683
- White35.4% · 1,091
- Two or more races5.8% · 179
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 90
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lathan
Lathan 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
#9,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,575
+498 bearers (+16.2%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Up 550 places
2020
#9,999
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,078
-497 bearers (-13.9%)
Per 100,000 1.03
Rank movement Down 865 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,684 | 3,077 | 1.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,134 | 3,575 | 1.21 | +498 bearers (+16.2%) | Up 550 places |
| 2020 | #9,999 | 3,078 | 1.03 | -497 bearers (-13.9%) | Down 865 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 Lathan 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 | #9,134 | #9,999 | -9.5% |
| Count | 3,575 | 3,078 | -13.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.03 | -14.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lathan bearers went from 3,575 to 3,078 (-13.9% change). The surname moved down 865 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,134 to #9,999.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lathan
FAQ
Lathan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lathan?
Name Census estimates that about 3,530 living Americans carry the surname Lathan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 97,098 residents.
How common is Lathan?
Lathan ranks #9,999 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.03 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,078 people with the surname Lathan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,530), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.03 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lathan.
Has Lathan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lathan went from 3,575 recorded bearers to 3,078. That is a decrease of 497 (-13.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,134 to #9,999.
What does the Census say about the background of Lathan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lathan, the largest self-reported group is Black at 54.7%. The next largest groups are White (35.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lathan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.7% (1,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lathan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (54.7%), White (35.4%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Lathan (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 Lathan mean?
Habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "barn on the hill" in Old English. 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 Lathan (1.03 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 Lathan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.