Lackey last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Lackey is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lackey.

Meaning of Lackey

An occupational surname for a servant or a person of servile character.

Lackey, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lackey surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lackey in America

Lackey is the 1996th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lackey surname appeared 18,082 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Lackey.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lackey to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 1996 1862 6.95%
Count 18,082 17,749 1.86%
Proportion per 100k 6.13 6.58 -7.08%

The history of the last name Lackey

The surname Lackey is of Anglo-Norman origin, derived from the Old French word "laquais" meaning servant or footman. It first appeared in England after the Norman Conquest of 1066, when many French words and surnames were introduced into the English language.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Lackey dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as "Laquai". This indicates that the name was already in use by the late 11th century, likely referring to someone who held a position as a servant or attendant.

During the Middle Ages, the name Lackey was found primarily in the counties of Hertfordshire, Bedfordshire, and Buckinghamshire, which were areas with strong Norman influence. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of the name may have been servants or attendants in the households of Norman nobility.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named John Lackey was recorded as a landowner in the county of Hertfordshire. Additionally, a Richard Lackey was mentioned in the records of the city of London in the year 1384, suggesting that the name had spread to urban areas.

By the 16th century, the name had evolved into various spellings such as Lakey, Lackie, and Lacye. One of the earliest recorded instances of the modern spelling "Lackey" can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Hertfordshire, where a William Lackey was christened in 1587.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Lackey. These include:

  1. John Lackey (1570-1635), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the borough of Southwark.
  2. William Lackey (1619-1684), an English Puritan minister and author who served as a chaplain during the English Civil War.
  3. Thomas Lackey (1725-1808), an American pioneer and Revolutionary War soldier from Virginia.
  4. Robert Lackey (1786-1858), an American politician who served as a U.S. Representative from Pennsylvania.
  5. Michael Lackey (1850-1924), an American baseball player who played for the Chicago White Stockings in the National Association.

While the surname Lackey may have originated from humble beginnings, it has been carried by individuals from various walks of life throughout history, reflecting the diverse narratives and experiences of those who have borne this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lackey

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lackey.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lackey was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 84.07% 15,202
Non-Hispanic Black Only 10.37% 1,875
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 0.49% 89
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.97% 175
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.94% 351
Hispanic Origin 2.16% 391

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lackey has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 84.07% 85.50% -1.69%
Black 10.37% 10.12% 2.44%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.49% 0.38% 25.29%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.97% 0.83% 15.56%
Two or More Races 1.94% 1.59% 19.83%
Hispanic 2.16% 1.58% 31.02%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lackey was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lackey, please contact us.

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"Lackey last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 27, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/lackey-surname-popularity/.

"Lackey last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/lackey-surname-popularity/. Accessed 27 July, 2024

Lackey last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/lackey-surname-popularity/.

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