2000
#10,200
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,901
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.08
Rare Last name
Lumley
From a place name meaning "woodland clearing," derived from Old English elements "lum" (pool) and "leah" (woodland clearing).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,189 Americans carry the last name Lumley. That puts it at #10,936 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,480 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lumley 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 Lumley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.2K
1 in 107,480
Census rank
#10,936
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,781 bearers of the surname Lumley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10936th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lumley
The surname Lumley originated in England, with records indicating its existence as far back as the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "lum," meaning a small stream or brook, and "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing in a forest. The name likely originated as a place name, referring to a location where a small stream flowed through a meadow or clearing.
The earliest recorded mention of the Lumley surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive record of landowners and properties in England compiled in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. This suggests that individuals bearing the name were present in England during the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, a notable member of the Lumley family was Ralph de Lumley, who was recorded as holding lands in Northumberland. Another early record is from 1273, when John de Lumley was listed as a landowner in Yorkshire.
The Lumleys were an influential family in the North of England, particularly in County Durham. One of the most prominent members was George Lumley, 1st Baron Lumley (c. 1535-1609), who served as a Member of Parliament and held various positions at the court of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another notable figure was Richard Lumley, 1st Earl of Scarbrough (1650-1721), who was a distinguished military leader and served as Governor of Hull. He was also a patron of the arts and supported the establishment of the Lumley Library, which contained a valuable collection of manuscripts and books.
In later centuries, the Lumley name continued to be associated with various noteworthy individuals. One example is Benjamin Lumley (1831-1887), an English impresario and theatre manager who was instrumental in promoting Italian opera in London during the Victorian era.
The surname Lumley has also been found in various spellings over the centuries, including Lumly, Lumbley, and Lumbly. Despite variations, the name has maintained its connection to its English origins and the historical significance of the Lumley family.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lumley
Among Census respondents with the surname Lumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lumley 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 Lumley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 2,399
- Two or more races4.4% · 123
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 107
- Black or African American3.5% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 28
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lumley
Lumley 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
#10,729
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,976
+75 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 529 places
2020
#10,936
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,781
-195 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Down 207 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,200 | 2,901 | 1.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,729 | 2,976 | 1.01 | +75 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 529 places |
| 2020 | #10,936 | 2,781 | 0.93 | -195 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 207 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 Lumley 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 | #10,729 | #10,936 | -1.9% |
| Count | 2,976 | 2,781 | -6.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.93 | -7.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lumley bearers went from 2,976 to 2,781 (-6.6% change). The surname moved down 207 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,729 to #10,936.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lumley
FAQ
Lumley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lumley?
Name Census estimates that about 3,189 living Americans carry the surname Lumley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,480 residents.
How common is Lumley?
Lumley ranks #10,936 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,781 people with the surname Lumley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,189), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lumley.
Has Lumley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lumley went from 2,976 recorded bearers to 2,781. That is a decrease of 195 (-6.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,729 to #10,936.
What does the Census say about the background of Lumley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lumley, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.4%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Lumley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (2,399 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lumley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Two or More Races (4.4%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Lumley (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 Lumley mean?
From a place name meaning "woodland clearing," derived from Old English elements "lum" (pool) and "leah" (woodland clearing). 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 Lumley (0.93 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 have the surname Lumley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.