2000
#18,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,336
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.50
Rare Last name
Lacefield
An English toponymic surname derived from a locality with fields of meadow grass.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,482 Americans carry the last name Lacefield. That puts it at #20,731 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.43 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 231,278 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lacefield 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
1.5K
1 in 231,278
Census rank
#20,731
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,292 bearers of the surname Lacefield in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.43 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 20731st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacefield, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lacefield
The surname Lacefield is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. This name is derived from a topographical term, likely referring to a field or clearing near a lake or body of water. The earliest recorded spelling of the name appears as "de Lachefeld" in the Pipe Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1197.
The name is believed to have originated in the Midlands region of England, particularly in counties such as Oxfordshire and Warwickshire, where many of the earliest records of the name are found. The prefix "de" in the earliest spelling suggests that the name was initially a descriptive term for someone who lived near or owned land by a lake or pond.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert de Lachefeld, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire in 1221. Another early reference can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Buckinghamshire from 1273, which mentions a Roger de Lachesfeld.
Throughout the centuries, the name has undergone various spellings, including Lakefield, Lakefeild, and Lackefeeld, before settling on the modern form of Lacefield. These variations were common due to inconsistent spelling practices and regional dialects in earlier times.
One notable individual with the Lacefield surname was John Lacefield, a Member of Parliament for Buckingham in the late 16th century, born around 1550. Another bearer of the name was William Lacefield, a prominent merchant and landowner in Oxfordshire, who lived in the early 17th century.
In the 18th century, records show a Thomas Lacefield, born in 1712, who served as a Captain in the British Royal Navy during the Seven Years' War. Additionally, a Richard Lacefield, born in 1745, was a renowned clockmaker and inventor from Worcestershire.
During the 19th century, the Lacefield name gained recognition with Joseph Lacefield, born in 1823, who was a influential educator and advocate for educational reforms in the United States. He founded several schools and academies in the Midwest.
While the Lacefield surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through immigration to the United States, Canada, and other English-speaking countries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lacefield
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacefield, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lacefield 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 Lacefield surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 1,049
- Black or African American9.0% · 116
- Two or more races4.1% · 53
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lacefield
Lacefield 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
#19,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,363
+27 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Down 846 places
2020
#20,731
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,292
-71 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.43
Rank movement Down 976 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,909 | 1,336 | 0.50 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,755 | 1,363 | 0.46 | +27 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 846 places |
| 2020 | #20,731 | 1,292 | 0.43 | -71 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 976 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 Lacefield 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 | #19,755 | #20,731 | -4.9% |
| Count | 1,363 | 1,292 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.46 | 0.43 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lacefield bearers went from 1,363 to 1,292 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 976 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,755 to #20,731.
FAQ
Lacefield surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lacefield?
Name Census estimates that about 1,482 living Americans carry the surname Lacefield. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 231,278 residents.
How common is Lacefield?
Lacefield ranks #20,731 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.43 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 1,292 people with the surname Lacefield. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,482), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.43 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.43 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 Lacefield.
Has Lacefield become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lacefield went from 1,363 recorded bearers to 1,292. That is a decrease of 71 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,755 to #20,731.
What does the Census say about the background of Lacefield?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacefield, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.0%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Lacefield in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (1,049 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lacefield appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Black (9.0%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Lacefield (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 Lacefield mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a locality with fields of meadow grass. 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 Lacefield (0.43 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 Lacefield?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Lacefield is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.