2000
#11,088
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,629
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Lamberson
An English occupational surname referring to someone who raises, shears, or sells lambs or sheep.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,886 Americans carry the last name Lamberson. That puts it at #11,896 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 118,764 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lamberson 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
2.9K
1 in 118,764
Census rank
#11,896
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,517 bearers of the surname Lamberson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11896th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamberson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lamberson
The surname Lamberson has its origins in England, specifically in the northern regions of Yorkshire and Lancashire. It is believed to have emerged in the late 12th or early 13th century, derived from the Old English words "lamb" and "hyrde," meaning a shepherd or keeper of lambs.
During the medieval period, the name Lamberson was commonly associated with individuals involved in the pastoral and agricultural sectors, particularly those responsible for tending and raising lambs. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 13th century, with references in various manorial records and tax rolls from Yorkshire and Lancashire.
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing the name Lamberson was John Lamberson, who appeared in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1301. Another notable figure was William Lamberson, a landowner mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield, Yorkshire, in 1379.
The Lamberson surname has also been linked to place names in the northern regions of England, such as Lamberton, a village in Yorkshire. It is possible that some bearers of the name derived their surname from these locations, adopting the place name as their family name.
Historically, the name has undergone various spelling variations, including Lambertson, Lamberson, and Lamburtson, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal practices of the time. Interestingly, the Domesday Book, the comprehensive survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not appear to contain any direct references to the Lamberson name, suggesting its emergence occurred after the Norman Conquest.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Lamberson. One such figure was Thomas Lamberson (1556-1628), an English clergyman and author who served as the rector of Brinton in Norfolk. Another prominent Lamberson was John Lamberson (1685-1747), a successful merchant and landowner in colonial Virginia, who played a significant role in the establishment of the town of Fredericksburg.
Other notable individuals with the Lamberson surname include:
1. William Lamberson (1795-1873), a British author and poet known for his works on agricultural and rural themes.
2. Mary Lamberson (1829-1909), an American educator and advocate for women's rights, who co-founded the Lamberson School for Girls in Pennsylvania.
3. James Lamberson (1867-1934), a Canadian politician and businessman who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
4. Emily Lamberson (1901-1986), an American artist and sculptor renowned for her works in bronze and marble.
5. Robert Lamberson (1921-2002), a British military officer who served in World War II and later became a respected historian and author on military history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lamberson
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamberson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lamberson 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 Lamberson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 2,145
- Two or more races5.0% · 127
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 105
- Black or African American3.8% · 95
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 20
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lamberson
Lamberson 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
#11,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,692
+63 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Down 556 places
2020
#11,896
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,517
-175 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Down 252 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,088 | 2,629 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,644 | 2,692 | 0.91 | +63 bearers (+2.4%) | Down 556 places |
| 2020 | #11,896 | 2,517 | 0.84 | -175 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 252 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 Lamberson 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 | #11,644 | #11,896 | -2.2% |
| Count | 2,692 | 2,517 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.84 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lamberson bearers went from 2,692 to 2,517 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 252 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,644 to #11,896.
FAQ
Lamberson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lamberson?
Name Census estimates that about 2,886 living Americans carry the surname Lamberson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 118,764 residents.
How common is Lamberson?
Lamberson ranks #11,896 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 2,517 people with the surname Lamberson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,886), 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 Lamberson.
Has Lamberson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lamberson went from 2,692 recorded bearers to 2,517. That is a decrease of 175 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,644 to #11,896.
What does the Census say about the background of Lamberson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamberson, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Lamberson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (2,145 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lamberson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Lamberson (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 Lamberson mean?
An English occupational surname referring to someone who raises, shears, or sells lambs or sheep. 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 Lamberson (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 have the last name Lamberson?
If you just want to know how common the surname Lamberson is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.