2000
#16,554
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,597
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.59
Rare Last name
Labrador
A locational surname referring to someone from the Labrador region of Newfoundland, Canada.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,625 Americans carry the last name Labrador. That puts it at #12,848 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,573 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Labrador 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
2.6K
1 in 130,573
Census rank
#12,848
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,289 bearers of the surname Labrador in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12848th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Labrador, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.0%) and White (7.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Labrador
The surname Labrador is of Spanish origin, derived from the word 'labrador', meaning 'farmer' or 'cultivator'. It can be traced back to the 16th century in the region of Cantabria, located in northern Spain. The name likely originated as an occupational surname for those who worked as farmers or cultivators of the land.
In historical records, the earliest known reference to the surname Labrador dates back to 1527, when it appeared in a document from the city of Santander, Cantabria. This document mentioned a certain Juan Labrador, who was involved in a legal dispute over land ownership.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Labrador was also found in various manuscripts and records from other parts of Spain, such as Castile and Andalusia. It is possible that the name spread to these regions as a result of migration or intermarriage among different families.
One notable individual bearing the surname Labrador was Pedro Labrador, a Spanish explorer and navigator who lived in the late 15th century. He is credited with being one of the first Europeans to sight the island of Labrador, off the eastern coast of Canada, during his voyages in the North Atlantic. The island was subsequently named after him.
Another prominent figure with the surname Labrador was Juan Labrador, a Spanish painter from the 17th century. He was known for his religious works and received commissions from various churches and monasteries in Spain.
In the 19th century, a famous Spanish writer and journalist named Rafael Labrador y Gómez (1818-1891) gained recognition for his political satires and social commentaries. He was an influential figure in the literary circles of Madrid during his time.
Other notable individuals with the surname Labrador include José Labrador y Navarro (1770-1838), a Spanish military officer and politician who served as the Governor of Cuba from 1824 to 1828, and María Labrador (1874-1957), a Spanish educator and advocate for women's rights who founded several schools and educational institutions in Madrid.
While the surname Labrador originated in Spain, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including Latin America and other Spanish-speaking countries, due to migration and colonization. However, the earliest recorded instances and historical references to the name can be traced back to the Spanish regions of Cantabria, Castile, and Andalusia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Labrador
Among Census respondents with the surname Labrador, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.0%) and White (7.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Labrador 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 Labrador surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino50.5% · 1,157
- Asian and Pacific Islander37.0% · 846
- White7.4% · 170
- Two or more races3.9% · 90
- Black or African American0.8% · 19
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Labrador
Labrador 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
#14,617
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,036
+439 bearers (+27.5%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Up 1,937 places
2020
#12,848
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,289
+253 bearers (+12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Up 1,769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,554 | 1,597 | 0.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,617 | 2,036 | 0.69 | +439 bearers (+27.5%) | Up 1,937 places |
| 2020 | #12,848 | 2,289 | 0.77 | +253 bearers (+12.4%) | Up 1,769 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 Labrador 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 | #14,617 | #12,848 | 12.1% |
| Count | 2,036 | 2,289 | 12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.77 | 11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Labrador bearers went from 2,036 to 2,289 (+12.4% change). The surname moved up 1,769 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,617 to #12,848.
FAQ
Labrador surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Labrador?
Name Census estimates that about 2,625 living Americans carry the surname Labrador. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,573 residents.
How common is Labrador?
Labrador ranks #12,848 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,289 people with the surname Labrador. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,625), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Labrador.
Has Labrador become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Labrador went from 2,036 recorded bearers to 2,289. That is an increase of 253 (+12.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,617 to #12,848.
What does the Census say about the background of Labrador?
Among Census respondents with the surname Labrador, the largest self-reported group is Hispanic at 50.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (37.0%) and White (7.4%). 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?
Hispanic is the largest self-reported group for the surname Labrador in the 2020 Census, accounting for 50.5% (1,157 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Labrador appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Hispanic (50.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (37.0%), White (7.4%). 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 Labrador (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 Labrador mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the Labrador region of Newfoundland, Canada. 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 Labrador (0.77 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 are called Labrador?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Labrador on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.