2000
#2,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,265
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.66
Uncommon Last name
London
A locational surname referring to someone from the city of London, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 17,861 Americans carry the last name London. That puts it at #2,281 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 19,190 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the London 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 London with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
18K
1 in 19,190
Census rank
#2,281
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 15,576 bearers of the surname London in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2281st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname London, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.7%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of London
The surname London originated in England during the medieval period, deriving from the name of the capital city of London. This locational surname likely referred to someone who resided in or came from the city of London.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname London can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which mentions a Roger de London. The Hundred Rolls were administrative records compiled during the reign of King Edward I.
The name London is believed to have evolved from the Latin name Londinium, which was the Roman name for the settlement that later became the city of London. Londinium itself is thought to have derived from an ancient Celtic word meaning "wild" or "uncleared" land.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of land and property commissioned by William the Conqueror, several individuals with the surname London are recorded, including Ailric London, who was a landowner in Norfolk.
Notable individuals with the surname London throughout history include:
1. Ralph London (fl. 1350s), an English Member of Parliament for Gloucestershire.
2. John London (c. 1365-1428), an English monk and chronicler who served as the Prior of Christ Church, Canterbury.
3. Benjamin London (1692-1784), an American surveyor and explorer who helped map the Allegheny Mountains and the Ohio Valley.
4. William London (1718-1809), an English watchmaker and inventor of the first successful compound microscope.
5. Jack London (1876-1916), the renowned American novelist and short story writer best known for works such as "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang."
The surname London has also been associated with various place names in England, such as London Bridge, London Road, and London Fields, which further reinforces its connection to the city of London.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for London
Among Census respondents with the surname London, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.7%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how London 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 London surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White53.7% · 8,358
- Black or African American37.2% · 5,796
- Two or more races4.0% · 625
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 618
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 98
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 81
Timeline
Historical Census data for London
London 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
#2,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,195
+930 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 5.49
Rank movement Down 64 places
2020
#2,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 15,576
-619 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 5.21
Rank movement Down 32 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,185 | 15,265 | 5.66 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,249 | 16,195 | 5.49 | +930 bearers (+6.1%) | Down 64 places |
| 2020 | #2,281 | 15,576 | 5.21 | -619 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 32 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 London 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 | #2,249 | #2,281 | -1.4% |
| Count | 16,195 | 15,576 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 5.49 | 5.21 | -5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of London bearers went from 16,195 to 15,576 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 32 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,249 to #2,281.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname London
FAQ
London surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname London?
Name Census estimates that about 17,861 living Americans carry the surname London. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 19,190 residents.
How common is London?
London ranks #2,281 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.21 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 15,576 people with the surname London. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (17,861), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.21 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 London.
Has London become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname London went from 16,195 recorded bearers to 15,576. That is a decrease of 619 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,249 to #2,281.
What does the Census say about the background of London?
Among Census respondents with the surname London, the largest self-reported group is White at 53.7%. The next largest groups are Black (37.2%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 London in the 2020 Census, accounting for 53.7% (8,358 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
London appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (53.7%), Black (37.2%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 London (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 London mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the city of London, England. 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 London (5.21 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 London?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.