2000
#1,981
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,736
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.20
Uncommon Last name
Lunsford
A habitational surname derived from places in England, likely referring to a ford near a grove or a spring.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 18,379 Americans carry the last name Lunsford. That puts it at #2,210 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.36 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 18,649 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lunsford 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
18K
1 in 18,649
Census rank
#2,210
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
16K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 16,027 bearers of the surname Lunsford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.36 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2210th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lunsford, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lunsford
The surname Lunsford has its origins in England, tracing back to the 11th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words 'lunden' meaning 'London' and 'ford', referring to a ford or shallow river crossing near the city of London. This suggests that the name likely originated from a place name, possibly referring to someone who lived near a ford close to London.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as 'Lundesford'. This entry provides evidence of the name's presence in England during the Norman conquest. The Domesday Book was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and resources commissioned by William the Conqueror, making it a valuable source for tracing the origins of surnames.
Throughout the Middle Ages, variations of the name emerged, including 'Lunsforde', 'Lunsfort', and 'Lunsford'. These spelling variations were common due to the lack of standardized orthography during that period. The name was often associated with various locations, such as Lunsford in Kent and Lunsford in Hertfordshire, further solidifying its connection to place names.
One notable bearer of the Lunsford surname was Sir Thomas Lunsford (1572-1653), an English soldier and landowner who fought for King Charles I during the English Civil War. He was appointed Governor of Chichester and played a significant role in defending the city against the Parliamentarian forces.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Henry Lunsford (1572-1624), an English merchant and member of the Virginia Company. He was influential in the early colonization efforts of Virginia and played a role in the establishment of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.
In the 16th century, John Lunsford (c. 1530-1593) was a prominent English poet and translator. He is known for his translations of works by classical authors, including Virgil's Aeneid and Ovid's Metamorphoses.
Thomas Lunsford (1804-1892) was a notable American politician and lawyer from North Carolina. He served as a member of the United States House of Representatives and played a significant role in the debates leading up to the Civil War.
Lastly, Sir Everard Lunsford (c. 1540-1612) was an English soldier and courtier during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He held positions as a gentleman pensioner and served as a member of the Privy Council, highlighting the prominence of the Lunsford name among the English gentry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lunsford
Among Census respondents with the surname Lunsford, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lunsford 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 Lunsford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 13,247
- Black or African American8.6% · 1,383
- Two or more races4.6% · 736
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 415
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 160
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 86
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lunsford
Lunsford 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
#2,137
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,962
+226 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 5.75
Rank movement Down 156 places
2020
#2,210
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 16,027
-935 bearers (-5.5%)
Per 100,000 5.36
Rank movement Down 73 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,981 | 16,736 | 6.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,137 | 16,962 | 5.75 | +226 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 156 places |
| 2020 | #2,210 | 16,027 | 5.36 | -935 bearers (-5.5%) | Down 73 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 Lunsford 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 | #2,137 | #2,210 | -3.4% |
| Count | 16,962 | 16,027 | -5.5% |
| Per 100K | 5.75 | 5.36 | -6.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lunsford bearers went from 16,962 to 16,027 (-5.5% change). The surname moved down 73 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,137 to #2,210.
FAQ
Lunsford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lunsford?
Name Census estimates that about 18,379 living Americans carry the surname Lunsford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 18,649 residents.
How common is Lunsford?
Lunsford ranks #2,210 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.36 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 16,027 people with the surname Lunsford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (18,379), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.36 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.36 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 Lunsford.
Has Lunsford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lunsford went from 16,962 recorded bearers to 16,027. That is a decrease of 935 (-5.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,137 to #2,210.
What does the Census say about the background of Lunsford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lunsford, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.6%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Lunsford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (13,247 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lunsford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Black (8.6%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Lunsford (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 Lunsford mean?
A habitational surname derived from places in England, likely referring to a ford near a grove or a spring. 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 Lunsford (5.36 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 last name Lunsford?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Lunsford on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.