2000
#68,569
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 268
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Loach
A descriptive surname referring to a person who inhabits or lives near a marshy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 345 Americans carry the last name Loach. That puts it at #70,147 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 993,491 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loach 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 Loach with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
345
1 in 993,491
Census rank
#70,147
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
301
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 301 bearers of the surname Loach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 70147th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loach, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loach
The surname Loach is believed to have originated in England, with roots dating back to the 12th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old English word "lache," meaning a small stream or a ditch filled with water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Shropshire from 1180, where a person named Robert de la Lache is mentioned. This indicates that the surname was likely formed as a topographic name, referring to someone who lived near a small body of water.
The name Loach has also been linked to various place names in England, such as Lache in Cheshire and Lach Dennis in Shropshire. These place names are believed to have originated from the same Old English word, further solidifying the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Loach. One of the earliest recorded examples is Sir John Loach (c. 1350-1420), a prominent English landowner and knight who served under King Henry IV during the Hundred Years' War.
Another prominent figure was William Loach (1528-1594), an English clergyman and scholar who served as the Archdeacon of Winchester during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was known for his contributions to theological writings and his role in the governance of the Church of England.
In the literary world, Kenneth Loach (born 1936) is a renowned British filmmaker and social activist, known for his critically acclaimed works such as "Kes" (1969) and "I, Daniel Blake" (2016). He has received numerous accolades, including the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival.
The surname Loach has also been associated with notable figures in the field of science. One such individual was Sir Michael Loach (1907-1995), a British chemist and academic who made significant contributions to the understanding of organic compounds and their reactions.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Beatrice Loach (1891-1977), a British botanist and plant pathologist who specialized in the study of fungal diseases affecting crops. Her research played a crucial role in developing methods to combat plant diseases and improve agricultural yields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loach
Among Census respondents with the surname Loach, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Loach 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 Loach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White78.1% · 235
- Black or African American16.6% · 50
- Two or more races2.3% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino1.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loach
Loach 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
#68,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 285
+17 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 380 places
2020
#70,147
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 301
+16 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Down 1,198 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,569 | 268 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #68,949 | 285 | 0.10 | +17 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 380 places |
| 2020 | #70,147 | 301 | 0.10 | +16 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 1,198 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 Loach 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 | #68,949 | #70,147 | -1.7% |
| Count | 285 | 301 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.10 | 0.10 | 0.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loach bearers went from 285 to 301 (+5.6% change). The surname moved down 1,198 positions in the national ranking, going from #68,949 to #70,147.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Loach
FAQ
Loach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loach?
Name Census estimates that about 345 living Americans carry the surname Loach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 993,491 residents.
How common is Loach?
Loach ranks #70,147 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 301 people with the surname Loach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (345), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Loach.
Has Loach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loach went from 285 recorded bearers to 301. That is an increase of 16 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #68,949 to #70,147.
What does the Census say about the background of Loach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loach, the largest self-reported group is White at 78.1%. The next largest groups are Black (16.6%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Loach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 78.1% (235 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (78.1%), Black (16.6%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Loach (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 Loach mean?
A descriptive surname referring to a person who inhabits or lives near a marshy area. 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 Loach (0.10 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 common is the surname Loach?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Loach on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.