2000
#57,705
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 330
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.12
Very Rare Last name
Postlethwaite
A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a pool of water or marshy area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 390 Americans carry the last name Postlethwaite. That puts it at #63,405 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 878,857 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Postlethwaite 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 Postlethwaite with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
390
1 in 878,857
Census rank
#63,405
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
340
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 340 bearers of the surname Postlethwaite in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 63405th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Postlethwaite, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Postlethwaite
The surname Postlethwaite originates from the northern English counties of Lancashire and Westmorland, now part of Cumbria. It is derived from the Old English words "post" meaning a post or stake, and "læt" meaning a barn or outhouse, combined with the Old Norse word "thveit" meaning a meadow or clearing. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a barn or outbuilding in a meadow or clearing.
The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears to be Postelthwayt in the Lancashire Inquisitions of 1311. Other early spellings include Postillwhate in the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1486, and Postilwhaytt in the Lancashire Wills records of 1554. The name is also found in the famous Domesday Book of 1086, listed as Postelcveit in the lands of the Count of Mortain.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Sir Adam de Postlethwaite, who was recorded as holding lands in Kendal, Westmorland in 1275. Another early figure was John Postlethwaite, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of York, who lived from around 1420 to 1485.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, a Captain James Postlethwaite fought for the Parliamentarian forces and was killed in action at the Battle of Naseby in 1645. In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the name was James Postlethwaite (1731-1799), a renowned architect and engineer who worked on projects such as the Eddystone Lighthouse and the Bridgewater Canal.
In the literary world, the English poet and writer Thomas Postlethwaite (1833-1913) was a respected figure in his time, known for works such as "Haunted Hearts" and "The Kingdom of the Mind." Additionally, the English actor Pete Postlethwaite (1945-2011) gained international acclaim for his performances in films like "In the Name of the Father" and "The Usual Suspects."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Postlethwaite
Among Census respondents with the surname Postlethwaite, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Postlethwaite 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 Postlethwaite surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.2% · 300
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 14
- Two or more races3.5% · 12
- Black or African American2.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.5% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Postlethwaite
Postlethwaite 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
#57,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 356
+26 bearers (+7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Up 471 places
2020
#63,405
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 340
-16 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.11
Rank movement Down 6,171 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #57,705 | 330 | 0.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,234 | 356 | 0.12 | +26 bearers (+7.9%) | Up 471 places |
| 2020 | #63,405 | 340 | 0.11 | -16 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 6,171 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 Postlethwaite 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 | #57,234 | #63,405 | -10.8% |
| Count | 356 | 340 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.11 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Postlethwaite bearers went from 356 to 340 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 6,171 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,234 to #63,405.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Postlethwaite
FAQ
Postlethwaite surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Postlethwaite?
Name Census estimates that about 390 living Americans carry the surname Postlethwaite. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 878,857 residents.
How common is Postlethwaite?
Postlethwaite ranks #63,405 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 340 people with the surname Postlethwaite. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (390), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Postlethwaite.
Has Postlethwaite become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Postlethwaite went from 356 recorded bearers to 340. That is a decrease of 16 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #57,234 to #63,405.
What does the Census say about the background of Postlethwaite?
Among Census respondents with the surname Postlethwaite, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Postlethwaite in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.2% (300 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Postlethwaite appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.2%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Postlethwaite (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 Postlethwaite mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name referring to a pool of water or marshy area. 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 Postlethwaite (0.11 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 Postlethwaite?
You can see how common the surname Postlethwaite is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.