2000
#9,085
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,306
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Laine
A Finnish surname derived from a place name or topographic feature, such as a bay or cove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,886 Americans carry the last name Laine. That puts it at #9,231 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,202 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Laine 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 Laine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,202
Census rank
#9,231
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,389 bearers of the surname Laine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9231st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Laine, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Laine
The surname Laine originated in France, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "laine," which means "wool" or "woolen cloth." This suggests that the name was likely associated with individuals involved in the wool trade or textile industry.
The earliest recorded instances of the Laine surname can be found in medieval French records and documents, such as tax rolls, parish registers, and property deeds. Some of these records date back to the 13th and 14th centuries, indicating the name's long-standing presence in French history.
The surname Laine may also have connections to various place names in France that incorporate the word "laine." For instance, the village of Laines in the department of Eure-et-Loir could potentially be a source for the surname. Additionally, variations like Delaine or Delaines may have originated from place names prefixed with the French preposition "de," signifying origin or residence.
In terms of historical figures bearing the Laine surname, one notable example is Étienne de Laine (c. 1518-1594), a French scholar and religious reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in France. Another individual of note is François Laine (1662-1744), a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the church of Saint-Louis-en-l'Île.
Pierre Laine (1726-1807) was a prominent French engineer and architect who contributed to the construction of several important structures, such as the Palais de la Bourse (Stock Exchange) in Bordeaux. Nicolas Joseph Laine (1787-1835), a French soldier and politician, served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies during the Bourbon Restoration and the July Monarchy.
Lastly, Édouard Laine (1870-1928) was a French sculptor and medalist known for his works in bronze and marble, as well as his participation in the Art Nouveau movement.
While the Laine surname may have originated in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. However, its roots can be traced back to the wool and textile industries of medieval France, reflecting the diverse occupations and origins that have shaped many European surnames over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Laine
Among Census respondents with the surname Laine, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Laine 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 Laine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.4% · 2,590
- Black or African American15.6% · 530
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 135
- Two or more races3.0% · 103
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 17
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 14
Timeline
Historical Census data for Laine
Laine 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
#9,407
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,456
+150 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 1.17
Rank movement Down 322 places
2020
#9,231
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,389
-67 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Up 176 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,085 | 3,306 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,407 | 3,456 | 1.17 | +150 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 322 places |
| 2020 | #9,231 | 3,389 | 1.13 | -67 bearers (-1.9%) | Up 176 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 Laine 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 | #9,407 | #9,231 | 1.9% |
| Count | 3,456 | 3,389 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 1.17 | 1.13 | -3.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Laine bearers went from 3,456 to 3,389 (-1.9% change). The surname moved up 176 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,407 to #9,231.
FAQ
Laine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Laine?
Name Census estimates that about 3,886 living Americans carry the surname Laine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,202 residents.
How common is Laine?
Laine ranks #9,231 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,389 people with the surname Laine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,886), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Laine.
Has Laine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Laine went from 3,456 recorded bearers to 3,389. That is a decrease of 67 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,407 to #9,231.
What does the Census say about the background of Laine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Laine, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.4%. The next largest groups are Black (15.6%) and Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Laine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.4% (2,590 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Laine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.4%), Black (15.6%), Hispanic (4.0%). 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 Laine (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 Laine mean?
A Finnish surname derived from a place name or topographic feature, such as a bay or cove. 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 Laine (1.13 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 common is the surname Laine?
Find out how common the surname Laine is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.