2000
#11,884
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,412
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Ladson
Derived from a place name meaning "Lād's son," referring to a settlement or farm of someone called Lād.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,889 Americans carry the last name Ladson. That puts it at #11,886 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,641 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ladson 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Ladson with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.9K
1 in 118,641
Census rank
#11,886
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,519 bearers of the surname Ladson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11886th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ladson
The surname Ladson has its roots in England, with records dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have originated from the Old English word "leadon," which referred to a small stream or watercourse. This suggests that the Ladson name may have been derived from a place name associated with a location near a stream or river.
One of the earliest documented references to the Ladson name can be found in the records of the parish of Wigan in Lancashire, England. In 1591, a certain Randulph Ladson was recorded as being a resident of the area. This provides evidence that the name was already in use by the late 16th century.
As time progressed, variations in the spelling of the name began to appear, such as Ladeson, Ladesone, and Ladsonne. These spelling variations were common during the Middle Ages, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
In the 17th century, the Ladson name was also found in the records of the parish of Burnley, Lancashire. A notable individual bearing this surname was Richard Ladson, who was born in Burnley in 1638. He was a respected member of the local community and served as a churchwarden for several years.
Another prominent figure in the history of the Ladson name was John Ladson, born in 1673 in the village of Haslingden, Lancashire. He was a successful merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to play influential roles in the region for generations.
In the 18th century, the Ladson name began to spread beyond Lancashire. One notable example is William Ladson, born in 1721 in Cheshire, England. He was a prominent lawyer and served as a member of parliament for the borough of Wigan from 1761 to 1768.
As the Ladson name continued to disperse throughout England, it also found its way to other parts of the world, including the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Thomas Ladson, who arrived in Virginia from England in 1635.
In the 19th century, the Ladson name gained further prominence with individuals such as James Ladson, born in 1808 in South Carolina. He was a successful plantation owner and played a significant role in the development of the state's agricultural industry.
Throughout its history, the Ladson surname has been borne by numerous notable individuals across various fields, including law, politics, business, and agriculture. While the name's origins can be traced back to England and its association with watercourses, it has since become a part of the cultural tapestry of many regions around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ladson
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ladson 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 Ladson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American72.6% · 1,829
- White17.9% · 452
- Two or more races4.7% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 14
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ladson
Ladson 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
#11,524
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,729
+317 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 360 places
2020
#11,886
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,519
-210 bearers (-7.7%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,884 | 2,412 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,524 | 2,729 | 0.93 | +317 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 360 places |
| 2020 | #11,886 | 2,519 | 0.84 | -210 bearers (-7.7%) | Down 362 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 Ladson 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 | #11,524 | #11,886 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,729 | 2,519 | -7.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.84 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ladson bearers went from 2,729 to 2,519 (-7.7% change). The surname moved down 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,524 to #11,886.
FAQ
Ladson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ladson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,889 living Americans carry the surname Ladson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,641 residents.
How common is Ladson?
Ladson ranks #11,886 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 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 2,519 people with the surname Ladson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,889), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 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 Ladson.
Has Ladson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ladson went from 2,729 recorded bearers to 2,519. That is a decrease of 210 (-7.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,524 to #11,886.
What does the Census say about the background of Ladson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ladson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 72.6%. The next largest groups are White (17.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Ladson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.6% (1,829 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ladson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (72.6%), White (17.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Ladson (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 Ladson mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "Lād's son," referring to a settlement or farm of someone called Lād. 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 Ladson (0.84 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 Ladson?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Ladson on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.