2000
#493
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 61,154
First available Census row
Per 100,000 22.67
Uncommon Last name
Lloyd
A surname of Welsh origin meaning "gray" or "brown," likely referring to the color of one's hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 71,108 Americans carry the last name Lloyd. That puts it at #531 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 20.75 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 4,820 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lloyd 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 Lloyd with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
71K
1 in 4,820
Census rank
#531
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
20.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
62K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 62,010 bearers of the surname Lloyd in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 20.75 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 531st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lloyd, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lloyd
The surname Lloyd has its origins in Wales, dating back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Welsh word "llwyd," meaning "grey" or "brown," and was likely originally a nickname or descriptive name given to someone with grey or brown hair or complexion.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Lloyd can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire, England, from 1199, where a person named Robertus Loyd is mentioned. This suggests that the name had already been adopted by the English by the late 12th century.
During the Middle Ages, the name was often spelled in various ways, including Lloyd, Lloid, Loyd, and Loyde. It is believed to have been particularly prevalent in the counties of Denbighshire, Flintshire, and Montgomeryshire in Wales, as well as in the English counties bordering Wales.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Lloyd was Gruffydd Llwyd (c. 1300-1370), a Welsh poet and genealogist. He was a prominent figure in the court of Prince Owain Glyndŵr and played a significant role in the Welsh War of Independence against the English in the early 15th century.
Another notable Lloyd was Humphrey Llwyd (c. 1527-1568), a Welsh cartographer and historian who produced one of the earliest detailed maps of Wales, known as the "Llwyd Manuscript." He also wrote extensively about Welsh history and geography.
In the 16th century, the Lloyd family became influential landowners in various parts of Wales, particularly in the counties of Denbighshire and Montgomeryshire. One notable member of this family was Sir Gruffydd Llwyd (c. 1520-1586), who served as High Sheriff of Denbighshire and was involved in the suppression of the Welsh Uprising of 1536-1537.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, several members of the Lloyd family sided with the Parliamentarians against King Charles I. One of the most prominent figures was John Lloyd (1613-1687), a Welsh soldier and politician who served as a Member of Parliament and played a key role in the Commonwealth government under Oliver Cromwell.
Another notable Lloyd from this period was David Lloyd (1625-1691), a Welsh Quaker and writer who emigrated to Pennsylvania in the late 17th century. He served as the Deputy Governor of Pennsylvania and was instrumental in the early development of the colony.
Throughout history, the Lloyd surname has been associated with various notable figures in politics, literature, and other fields, both in Wales and beyond. Its origins as a descriptive name rooted in the Welsh language and culture have contributed to its enduring significance and popularity.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lloyd
Among Census respondents with the surname Lloyd, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lloyd 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 Lloyd surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.1% · 43,462
- Black or African American21.3% · 13,221
- Two or more races4.1% · 2,564
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 2,026
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 473
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 264
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lloyd
Lloyd 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
#522
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 64,202
+3,048 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 21.76
Rank movement Down 29 places
2020
#531
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 62,010
-2,192 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 20.75
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #493 | 61,154 | 22.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #522 | 64,202 | 21.76 | +3,048 bearers (+5.0%) | Down 29 places |
| 2020 | #531 | 62,010 | 20.75 | -2,192 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 9 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 Lloyd 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 | #522 | #531 | -1.7% |
| Count | 64,202 | 62,010 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 21.76 | 20.75 | -4.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lloyd bearers went from 64,202 to 62,010 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #522 to #531.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lloyd
FAQ
Lloyd surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lloyd?
Name Census estimates that about 71,108 living Americans carry the surname Lloyd. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 4,820 residents.
How common is Lloyd?
Lloyd ranks #531 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 20.75 per 100,000 residents, which is about 21 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 62,010 people with the surname Lloyd. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (71,108), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 20.75 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 20.75 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 21 of them to have the surname Lloyd.
Has Lloyd become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lloyd went from 64,202 recorded bearers to 62,010. That is a decrease of 2,192 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #522 to #531.
What does the Census say about the background of Lloyd?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lloyd, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.1%. The next largest groups are Black (21.3%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Lloyd in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.1% (43,462 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lloyd appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.1%), Black (21.3%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Lloyd (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 Lloyd mean?
A surname of Welsh origin meaning "gray" or "brown," likely referring to the color of one's hair or complexion. 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 Lloyd (20.75 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 Lloyd?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.