2000
#15,558
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,726
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.64
Rare Last name
Lambdin
A surname derived from a small village in the English county of Norfolk.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,929 Americans carry the last name Lambdin. That puts it at #16,566 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.56 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 177,685 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lambdin 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
1.9K
1 in 177,685
Census rank
#16,566
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,682 bearers of the surname Lambdin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.56 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 16566th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lambdin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lambdin
The surname Lambdin has its origins in England, emerging during the medieval period. Scholars believe it is derived from the Old English words "lamb" and "denu," which translates to "lamb valley" or "valley where lambs graze." This suggests that the name may have originated from a location or settlement where sheep farming was prevalent.
The earliest known record of the Lambdin name can be traced back to the 13th century in the county of Gloucestershire, England. In 1273, a document from the Hundred Rolls mentioned a Roger de Lambedene, indicating the presence of the name in its archaic form during that era.
Interestingly, the Lambdin surname appears to have been associated with notable historical figures. One such individual was Sir Robert Lambdin (1554-1631), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1619. Another notable bearer of the name was John Lambdin (1615-1694), an early Quaker settler who emigrated to the American colonies and became a prominent leader in Pennsylvania.
In the 17th century, the Lambdin name was also recorded in the Parish Registers of Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Entries from this period include the marriage of Thomas Lambdin and Elizabeth Smyth in 1628, as well as the baptism of their son, John Lambdin, in 1631.
As the name spread across England, it underwent various spelling variations, including Lamden, Lambden, and Lambin. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during those times.
One notable figure in the 18th century was William Lambdin (1709-1784), a successful merchant and landowner from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was a prominent member of the Society of Friends (Quakers) and played a significant role in the development of the city.
In the 19th century, the Lambdin surname continued to be represented by individuals who made notable contributions. John Lambdin (1807-1887), a prominent industrialist and banker from Ohio, was instrumental in the development of the railroad industry in the United States.
Throughout its history, the Lambdin name has been associated with various occupations and fields, including agriculture, commerce, politics, and industry. While the name may have originated from a specific location in England, it has since spread across the globe, leaving a lasting legacy in various regions and communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lambdin
Among Census respondents with the surname Lambdin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lambdin 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 Lambdin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 1,556
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 58
- Two or more races3.2% · 54
- Black or African American0.3% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lambdin
Lambdin 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
#16,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,778
+52 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.60
Rank movement Down 680 places
2020
#16,566
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,682
-96 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.56
Rank movement Down 328 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #15,558 | 1,726 | 0.64 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #16,238 | 1,778 | 0.60 | +52 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 680 places |
| 2020 | #16,566 | 1,682 | 0.56 | -96 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 328 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 Lambdin 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 | #16,238 | #16,566 | -2.0% |
| Count | 1,778 | 1,682 | -5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.60 | 0.56 | -6.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lambdin bearers went from 1,778 to 1,682 (-5.4% change). The surname moved down 328 positions in the national ranking, going from #16,238 to #16,566.
FAQ
Lambdin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lambdin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,929 living Americans carry the surname Lambdin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 177,685 residents.
How common is Lambdin?
Lambdin ranks #16,566 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.56 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 1,682 people with the surname Lambdin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,929), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.56 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.56 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 Lambdin.
Has Lambdin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lambdin went from 1,778 recorded bearers to 1,682. That is a decrease of 96 (-5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #16,238 to #16,566.
What does the Census say about the background of Lambdin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lambdin, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Lambdin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (1,556 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lambdin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Lambdin (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 Lambdin mean?
A surname derived from a small village in the English county of Norfolk. 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 Lambdin (0.56 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 Lambdin?
See how many people have the surname Lambdin on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.