2000
#1,828
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,031
First available Census row
Per 100,000 6.68
Uncommon Last name
Laird
A surname of Scottish origin referring to a landowner or person of high social standing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 20,202 Americans carry the last name Laird. That puts it at #2,004 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 5.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 16,966 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Laird 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 Laird with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
20K
1 in 16,966
Census rank
#2,004
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
5.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
18K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 17,617 bearers of the surname Laird in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 5.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2004th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Laird, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Laird
The surname Laird originated in Scotland, where it first appeared in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English word "hlaford," meaning "lord" or "master." The name was initially used to refer to the landholders or lords of a manor or estate.
In the early days, the Lairds were prominent landowners and members of the Scottish nobility. They held significant power and influence within their respective regions. The name is closely tied to the feudal system that prevailed in Scotland during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Laird can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, where several individuals bearing the name swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. These rolls were a record of homages and oaths of fealty given by Scottish nobles and landowners.
The Laird family had a strong presence in various parts of Scotland, particularly in the regions of Aberdeenshire, Angus, and Fife. Some notable examples include Sir Robert Laird, who was born in 1492 and served as a member of the Scottish Parliament during the reign of King James IV.
In the 16th century, the surname Laird appeared in connection with several place names, such as Lairdsland in Fife and Lairdshiels in Roxburghshire. These place names likely derived from the Laird families who owned or resided in those areas.
Another prominent figure was Sir James Laird, born in 1628, who was a merchant and politician in Glasgow. He played a significant role in the city's economic and political affairs during the 17th century.
In the literary realm, the name Laird is associated with David Laird, a Scottish poet and playwright born in 1720. He wrote several plays and poems, contributing to the cultural landscape of his time.
The surname Laird also has connections to the academic world. One notable example is Alexander Laird, born in 1808, who was a renowned mathematician and philosopher. He served as a professor at the University of Edinburgh and made significant contributions to the field of logic.
Throughout history, the Laird surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including landowners, merchants, politicians, writers, and scholars. While the name originated from the Scottish nobility, it has since spread to other parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of Scottish families over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Laird
Among Census respondents with the surname Laird, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Laird 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 Laird surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.5% · 15,066
- Black or African American5.8% · 1,024
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 672
- Two or more races3.8% · 662
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 123
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 70
Timeline
Historical Census data for Laird
Laird 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
#1,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 18,696
+665 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 6.34
Rank movement Down 101 places
2020
#2,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,617
-1,079 bearers (-5.8%)
Per 100,000 5.89
Rank movement Down 75 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #1,828 | 18,031 | 6.68 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #1,929 | 18,696 | 6.34 | +665 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 101 places |
| 2020 | #2,004 | 17,617 | 5.89 | -1,079 bearers (-5.8%) | Down 75 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 Laird 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 | #1,929 | #2,004 | -3.9% |
| Count | 18,696 | 17,617 | -5.8% |
| Per 100K | 6.34 | 5.89 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Laird bearers went from 18,696 to 17,617 (-5.8% change). The surname moved down 75 positions in the national ranking, going from #1,929 to #2,004.
FAQ
Laird surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Laird?
Name Census estimates that about 20,202 living Americans carry the surname Laird. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 16,966 residents.
How common is Laird?
Laird ranks #2,004 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 5.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 17,617 people with the surname Laird. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (20,202), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 5.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 5.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Laird.
Has Laird become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Laird went from 18,696 recorded bearers to 17,617. That is a decrease of 1,079 (-5.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #1,929 to #2,004.
What does the Census say about the background of Laird?
Among Census respondents with the surname Laird, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.5%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Laird in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.5% (15,066 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Laird appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.5%), Black (5.8%), Hispanic (3.8%). 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 Laird (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 Laird mean?
A surname of Scottish origin referring to a landowner or person of high social standing. 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 Laird (5.89 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 Americans have the surname Laird?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.