Loften
An English form of the Scandinavian name Loftan meaning "praiseworthy one".
Name Census estimates that about 0 living Americans carry the first name Loften. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Loften today is around 0 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Loften births was 1924 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Loften. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Loften. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
0
~ - Americans
Peak year
1924
5 babies that year
Average age
-
1924 SSA rank
#4,713
Tracked since 1924
Popularity
Loften: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Loften by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Loften during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Loften
The name Loften is believed to have its origins in Old English, derived from the words "loft" meaning "air" or "sky," and the suffix "-en," which was often used to form adjectives or nouns. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived or worked high up, perhaps in a loft or attic space.
In early medieval times, the name was likely used as a descriptive surname, denoting a person's occupation or place of residence. It is possible that the name Loften was initially given to individuals who worked as builders, carpenters, or roofers, as their work often involved lofty spaces.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Loften appears in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This historical document lists a landowner named Loften in the county of Gloucestershire.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Loften seems to have been relatively uncommon, with only a handful of documented references. One notable bearer of the name was Loften de Wulfhamcote, a 13th-century landowner and knight mentioned in the Hundred Rolls, a survey of landowners in England conducted in 1274-1275.
In the 16th century, a Scottish scholar and theologian named Loften Lindsay (1490-1565) gained recognition for his contributions to the Protestant Reformation. He was a staunch supporter of the teachings of John Calvin and played a significant role in the spread of Calvinism in Scotland.
Another influential figure bearing the name Loften was the English philosopher and writer Loften Cudworth (1617-1688). He was a prominent member of the Cambridge Platonists, a group of philosophers who sought to reconcile Christian theology with classical philosophy, particularly the works of Plato.
In the 18th century, Loften Stukeley (1687-1765) was a notable English antiquarian, clergyman, and one of the pioneers of field archaeology. He conducted extensive excavations and surveys of ancient sites, including Stonehenge and Avebury, and made significant contributions to the study of prehistoric monuments.
While the name Loften has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has been carried by a diverse array of individuals, from landowners and knights to scholars, theologians, and pioneers in various fields. The name's origins in Old English and its connection to lofty spaces and heights have contributed to its unique and intriguing character.
People
Loften + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Loften as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Loften: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Loften?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 0 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Loften going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about - US residents.
Is Loften a common name?
We classify Loften as "Very Rare". It ranks above 2.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Loften most popular?
The single biggest year for Loften was 1924, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Loften is about 0 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Loften in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Loften a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Loften in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Loften still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Loften in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Loften can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Loften?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.