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

Laird, 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 Laird surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laird in America

Laird is the 1929th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laird surname appeared 18,696 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 Laird.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laird 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.

The history of the last name 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.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laird

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

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 Laird was:

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 Laird has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Laird was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!