2000
#30,199
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 732
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Rare Last name
Latin
A surname referring to someone from a Latin, Romance language-speaking region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,065 Americans carry the last name Latin. That puts it at #27,480 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.31 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 321,835 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Latin 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.
Bearers in the US
1.1K
1 in 321,835
Census rank
#27,480
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
929
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 929 bearers of the surname Latin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.31 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 27480th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Latin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 39.0%. The next largest groups are White (29.8%) and Hispanic (26.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Latin
The surname Latin is believed to have originated in ancient Rome, derived from the word "Latinus," which referred to the Latins, an Italic tribe that inhabited the region of Latium in central Italy. The name is thought to have emerged during the Roman Empire, when it was used to identify individuals of Latin descent or those who spoke the Latin language.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Latin can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval documents from the 9th century. In this codex, there are references to individuals bearing the name "Latinus" or "de Latinis," indicating their connection to the Latin people or the Latium region.
During the Middle Ages, the name Latin was often associated with scholars, writers, and intellectuals who studied and taught the Latin language and literature. Notable figures from this period include John of Latin (c. 1275-1350), an English scholar and theologian, and Pietro Latino (c. 1330-1405), an Italian humanist and translator.
In the Renaissance period, the name Latin was sometimes used as a surname by individuals who embraced the classical ideals and culture of ancient Rome. One such example is Andrea Latino (1450-1512), an Italian humanist and philosopher who played a significant role in the revival of classical learning.
The surname Latin can also be found in various historical records from different parts of Europe, suggesting that it may have spread beyond its Italian origins. For instance, there are mentions of individuals with the surname Latin in England, France, and Spain, possibly indicating migration or cultural exchange.
Other notable figures bearing the surname Latin include:
1. Antonio Latin (c. 1505-1580), a Spanish Renaissance scholar and linguist.
2. Juan Latin (1585-1660), a Spanish poet and dramatist.
3. Bartolomeo Latin (1670-1742), an Italian architect and engineer.
4. Franciszek Latin (1823-1898), a Polish writer and translator.
5. Miguel Latin (1888-1956), a Mexican artist and muralist.
While the surname Latin has roots in ancient Rome and the Latin language, it has since spread across various regions and cultures, reflecting the enduring influence of Latin civilization and its lasting impact on the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Latin
Among Census respondents with the surname Latin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 39.0%. The next largest groups are White (29.8%) and Hispanic (26.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Latin 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 Latin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American39.0% · 362
- White29.8% · 277
- Hispanic or Latino26.6% · 247
- Two or more races2.9% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 16
Timeline
Historical Census data for Latin
Latin 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
#35,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 639
-93 bearers (-12.7%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 5,047 places
2020
#27,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 929
+290 bearers (+45.4%)
Per 100,000 0.31
Rank movement Up 7,766 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,199 | 732 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #35,246 | 639 | 0.22 | -93 bearers (-12.7%) | Down 5,047 places |
| 2020 | #27,480 | 929 | 0.31 | +290 bearers (+45.4%) | Up 7,766 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 Latin 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 | #35,246 | #27,480 | 22.0% |
| Count | 639 | 929 | 45.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.31 | 41.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Latin bearers went from 639 to 929 (+45.4% change). The surname moved up 7,766 positions in the national ranking, going from #35,246 to #27,480.
FAQ
Latin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Latin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,065 living Americans carry the surname Latin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 321,835 residents.
How common is Latin?
Latin ranks #27,480 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.31 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 929 people with the surname Latin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.31 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.31 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 Latin.
Has Latin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Latin went from 639 recorded bearers to 929. That is an increase of 290 (+45.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #35,246 to #27,480.
What does the Census say about the background of Latin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Latin, the largest self-reported group is Black at 39.0%. The next largest groups are White (29.8%) and Hispanic (26.6%). 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 Latin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 39.0% (362 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Latin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (39.0%), White (29.8%), Hispanic (26.6%). 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 Latin (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 Latin mean?
A surname referring to someone from a Latin, Romance language-speaking region. 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 Latin (0.31 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 have the surname Latin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.