2000
#3,730
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,729
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.24
Rare Last name
Loy
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing in a forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,741 Americans carry the last name Loy. That puts it at #4,058 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 35,187 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loy 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 Loy with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.7K
1 in 35,187
Census rank
#4,058
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,495 bearers of the surname Loy in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4058th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loy
The surname LOY has its origins in England, dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "loh," meaning a small hill or mound. Alternatively, it may also have stemmed from the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest.
One of the earliest records of the LOY surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which documented landowners in England. The name was listed as "de Loye," referring to someone who hailed from a place called Loy or Loye.
The LOY surname is closely associated with the village of Loy in Essex, England. This place name is thought to have originated from the Old English words "loh" or "leah," further strengthening the connection between the surname and its geographical roots.
In the 13th century, a man named Richard de Loye was recorded as a landowner in the county of Essex. He is one of the earliest known individuals to bear the LOY surname.
Another notable figure with the LOY surname was Sir John Loy, who lived during the 15th century and served as a military commander in the Wars of the Roses. He fought alongside the House of Lancaster and was renowned for his bravery on the battlefield.
During the 16th century, the LOY surname gained prominence through the works of the English poet and playwright, Thomas Loy (1539-1605). His writings were widely acclaimed and helped to establish the surname's literary legacy.
In the 17th century, the LOY surname was associated with the village of Loy in Somerset, England. A prominent figure from this era was Sir Edward Loy (1618-1687), who served as a Member of Parliament and was known for his involvement in local politics.
Another well-known individual with the LOY surname was the English botanist, John Loy (1672-1737). He made significant contributions to the study of plants and is credited with the discovery of several new species.
As the LOY surname spread across England, it also took on various spellings, such as Loye, Loy, and Loie. These variations reflect the regional dialects and linguistic changes that occurred over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loy
Among Census respondents with the surname Loy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Loy 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 Loy surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 7,141
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 505
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.3% · 367
- Two or more races3.8% · 327
- Black or African American0.9% · 79
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 76
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loy
Loy 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
#4,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,868
+139 bearers (+1.6%)
Per 100,000 3.01
Rank movement Down 276 places
2020
#4,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,495
-373 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 2.84
Rank movement Down 52 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,730 | 8,729 | 3.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,006 | 8,868 | 3.01 | +139 bearers (+1.6%) | Down 276 places |
| 2020 | #4,058 | 8,495 | 2.84 | -373 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 52 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 Loy 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 | #4,006 | #4,058 | -1.3% |
| Count | 8,868 | 8,495 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 3.01 | 2.84 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loy bearers went from 8,868 to 8,495 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 52 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,006 to #4,058.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Loy
FAQ
Loy surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loy?
Name Census estimates that about 9,741 living Americans carry the surname Loy. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 35,187 residents.
How common is Loy?
Loy ranks #4,058 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,495 people with the surname Loy. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,741), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Loy.
Has Loy become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loy went from 8,868 recorded bearers to 8,495. That is a decrease of 373 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,006 to #4,058.
What does the Census say about the background of Loy?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loy, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Loy in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (7,141 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loy appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.3%). 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 Loy (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 Loy mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a meadow or clearing in a forest. 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 Loy (2.84 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 Loy?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.