2000
#7,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.58
Rare Last name
Lacombe
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a small valley, hollow, or dip in the ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,051 Americans carry the last name Lacombe. That puts it at #7,297 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 67,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lacombe 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
5.1K
1 in 67,859
Census rank
#7,297
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,405 bearers of the surname Lacombe in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7297th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacombe, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lacombe
The surname LACOMBE has its origins in France, stemming from the Old French words "la" meaning "the" and "combe" meaning "small valley" or "hollow." Consequently, the name was likely initially given to individuals residing in or near a small valley or hollow area.
During the Middle Ages, the name LACOMBE appeared in various historical records across different regions of France. One notable early reference can be found in the "Livre des Bourgeois de Gand," a 14th-century census document from the city of Ghent, Belgium, which listed several individuals bearing the surname LACOMBE, hinting at their potential migration from France.
In the 16th century, the name LACOMBE was documented in the parish records of the village of Sainte-Marie-aux-Mines in the Alsace region of northeastern France. This area was known for its rich mining history, and it is possible that some individuals with this surname were involved in mining activities during that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LACOMBE dates back to the late 12th century, when a certain Robert de LACOMBE was mentioned in the chronicles of the Abbey of Saint-Victor in Marseille, France. Another notable figure was Jean LACOMBE, a French philosopher and theologian born in 1624 in the town of Muret, near Toulouse.
Moving forward, the name gained prominence in various fields throughout history. For instance, Marthe LACOMBE (1720-1803) was a French sculptor and painter known for her portraiture work. In the realm of literature, Albert LACOMBE (1827-1916) was a renowned French philologist and linguist who specialized in the study of Native American languages.
Another prominent figure was François LACOMBE (1839-1919), a French-Canadian Catholic missionary and author who dedicated his life to working with the Cree and Blackfoot peoples in present-day Alberta, Canada. He played a crucial role in preserving and documenting their languages and cultural traditions.
It is worth noting that the name LACOMBE has also been associated with several place names across France and beyond. For example, the commune of Lacombe in the Aude department of southern France, as well as the town of Lacombe in Alberta, Canada, which was named after the aforementioned missionary François LACOMBE.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lacombe
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacombe, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lacombe 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 Lacombe surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.2% · 3,708
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 254
- Black or African American5.6% · 248
- Two or more races3.6% · 157
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 23
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lacombe
Lacombe 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
#7,363
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,524
+271 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 1.53
Rank movement Down 129 places
2020
#7,297
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,405
-119 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 1.47
Rank movement Up 66 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,234 | 4,253 | 1.58 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,363 | 4,524 | 1.53 | +271 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 129 places |
| 2020 | #7,297 | 4,405 | 1.47 | -119 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 66 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 Lacombe 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 | #7,363 | #7,297 | 0.9% |
| Count | 4,524 | 4,405 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.53 | 1.47 | -3.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lacombe bearers went from 4,524 to 4,405 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 66 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,363 to #7,297.
FAQ
Lacombe surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lacombe?
Name Census estimates that about 5,051 living Americans carry the surname Lacombe. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 67,859 residents.
How common is Lacombe?
Lacombe ranks #7,297 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.47 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 4,405 people with the surname Lacombe. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,051), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.47 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 Lacombe.
Has Lacombe become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lacombe went from 4,524 recorded bearers to 4,405. That is a decrease of 119 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #7,363 to #7,297.
What does the Census say about the background of Lacombe?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lacombe, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Black (5.6%). 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 Lacombe in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.2% (3,708 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lacombe appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.2%), Hispanic (5.8%), Black (5.6%). 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 Lacombe (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 Lacombe mean?
A French topographic surname referring to someone living near a small valley, hollow, or dip in the ground. 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 Lacombe (1.47 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 Lacombe?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Lacombe at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.