2000
#2,507
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,212
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.90
Uncommon Last name
Lofton
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Lofta's town" or "town by a loft or barn."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,246 Americans carry the last name Lofton. That puts it at #2,646 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,482 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lofton 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
15K
1 in 22,482
Census rank
#2,646
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,295 bearers of the surname Lofton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2646th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lofton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (34.7%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lofton
The surname Lofton is of English origin, believed to have originated in the 11th or 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "loft" and "tun," meaning a loft or upper room and a town or settlement, respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in an elevated dwelling or a settlement with a loft-like structure.
The earliest known records of the name Lofton can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Loftune." This entry suggests the existence of a settlement or manor with a similar name, potentially linked to the origin of the surname. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Loftoun, Loftown, and eventually Lofton.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Lofton was Robert de Lofton, who lived in Lincolnshire, England, in the 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir William Lofton, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in Yorkshire, England, during the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the historical records of the Duchy of Lancaster, where a certain John Lofton was mentioned as a tenant in Lancashire. This region is believed to have been a stronghold for the Lofton family during this period.
Moving into the 16th century, a notable figure was Thomas Lofton (c. 1520-1590), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Clare College, Cambridge. Another significant individual was Sir John Lofton (1558-1623), a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire and a prominent figure in the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Virginia Colony, where William Lofton (c. 1630-1690) was one of the early settlers and landowners. This suggests that the Lofton family had established roots in the New World during this time period.
Other notable individuals with the surname Lofton include Samuel Lofton (1704-1782), a British politician and member of the House of Commons, and James Lofton (1773-1845), an American soldier and politician who served as a member of the Tennessee State Senate.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lofton
Among Census respondents with the surname Lofton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (34.7%) and Two or More Races (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lofton 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 Lofton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American55.2% · 7,341
- White34.7% · 4,611
- Two or more races5.3% · 699
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 419
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 175
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 50
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lofton
Lofton 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
#2,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,900
+688 bearers (+5.2%)
Per 100,000 4.71
Rank movement Down 83 places
2020
#2,646
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,295
-605 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 4.45
Rank movement Down 56 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,507 | 13,212 | 4.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,590 | 13,900 | 4.71 | +688 bearers (+5.2%) | Down 83 places |
| 2020 | #2,646 | 13,295 | 4.45 | -605 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 56 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 Lofton 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 | #2,590 | #2,646 | -2.2% |
| Count | 13,900 | 13,295 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 4.71 | 4.45 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lofton bearers went from 13,900 to 13,295 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 56 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,590 to #2,646.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lofton
FAQ
Lofton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lofton?
Name Census estimates that about 15,246 living Americans carry the surname Lofton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,482 residents.
How common is Lofton?
Lofton ranks #2,646 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.45 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,295 people with the surname Lofton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,246), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.45 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Lofton.
Has Lofton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lofton went from 13,900 recorded bearers to 13,295. That is a decrease of 605 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,590 to #2,646.
What does the Census say about the background of Lofton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lofton, the largest self-reported group is Black at 55.2%. The next largest groups are White (34.7%) and Two or More Races (5.3%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lofton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 55.2% (7,341 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lofton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (55.2%), White (34.7%), Two or More Races (5.3%). 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 Lofton (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 Lofton mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "Lofta's town" or "town by a loft or barn." 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 Lofton (4.45 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 Lofton?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.