2000
#1,996
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,671
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.18
Uncommon Last name
Light
An English surname referring to a person who was radiant, cheerful, or lived near a source of light.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,613 Americans carry the last name Light. That puts it at #2,180 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,415 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Light 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 Light with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
19K
1 in 18,415
Census rank
#2,180
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,231 bearers of the surname Light in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2180th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Light, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Light
The surname Light originated in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "leoht," meaning "light" or "bright," which was likely used as a descriptive nickname for someone with fair hair or a bright complexion.
The earliest known record of the name Light appears in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire in 1196, where a Walter Le Lyht is mentioned. This spelling variation, with the Old English "leoht" anglicized as "lyht," was common in early records.
In the 13th century, the surname Light is found in various records across England, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of Worcestershire in 1221, where a William Lyte is listed. The spelling "Lyte" was another early variation of the name.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Light was John Light, a merchant and alderman of London, who lived in the late 14th century. He is mentioned in the City of London records from 1368 to 1393.
Another early record of the surname Light is found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a John Lyght is listed as a taxpayer. This record suggests that the Light family had established roots in Worcestershire by the early 14th century.
In the 16th century, the surname Light is found in various records across England, including the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk in 1524, where a John Light is listed as a taxpayer in the village of Hoxne.
One of the most notable figures with the surname Light was Edward Light, an English artist and engraver who lived from 1747 to 1832. He was a member of the Royal Academy and is known for his engravings of works by famous painters such as Joshua Reynolds and Thomas Gainsborough.
Another notable individual with the surname Light was Benjamin Light, an English astronomer and mathematician who lived from 1784 to 1839. He was the first director of the Radcliffe Observatory in Oxford and made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
In the 19th century, the surname Light is found in various records across England and other parts of the British Isles. One example is John Light, a Scottish minister and author who lived from 1785 to 1865 and wrote several works on theology and church history.
Overall, the surname Light has a long and well-documented history in England, with records dating back to the 12th century. While it originated as a descriptive nickname, it has become a recognized surname with many notable individuals bearing it throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Light
Among Census respondents with the surname Light, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Light 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 Light surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.7% · 14,231
- Two or more races3.6% · 579
- Black or African American3.3% · 543
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 542
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 220
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 116
Timeline
Historical Census data for Light
Light 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
#2,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,769
+98 bearers (+0.6%)
Per 100,000 5.68
Rank movement Down 168 places
2020
#2,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,231
-538 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 5.43
Rank movement Down 16 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,996 | 16,671 | 6.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,164 | 16,769 | 5.68 | +98 bearers (+0.6%) | Down 168 places |
| 2020 | #2,180 | 16,231 | 5.43 | -538 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 16 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 Light 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 | #2,164 | #2,180 | -0.7% |
| Count | 16,769 | 16,231 | -3.2% |
| Per 100K | 5.68 | 5.43 | -4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Light bearers went from 16,769 to 16,231 (-3.2% change). The surname moved down 16 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,164 to #2,180.
FAQ
Light surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Light?
Name Census estimates that about 18,613 living Americans carry the surname Light. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,415 residents.
How common is Light?
Light ranks #2,180 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.43 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 16,231 people with the surname Light. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,613), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.43 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Light.
Has Light become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Light went from 16,769 recorded bearers to 16,231. That is a decrease of 538 (-3.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,164 to #2,180.
What does the Census say about the background of Light?
Among Census respondents with the surname Light, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Black (3.3%). 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 Light in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.7% (14,231 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Light appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.7%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Black (3.3%). 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 Light (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 Light mean?
An English surname referring to a person who was radiant, cheerful, or lived near a source of light. 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 Light (5.43 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 Light?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.