2000
#8,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,618
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.34
Rare Last name
Lambeth
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a landing place for lambs or sheep.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,905 Americans carry the last name Lambeth. That puts it at #9,201 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lambeth 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 Lambeth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 87,773
Census rank
#9,201
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,405 bearers of the surname Lambeth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9201st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lambeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lambeth
The surname Lambeth is of English origin, deriving from the area now known as the London borough of Lambeth. It is believed to have originated during the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 7th or 8th century AD. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "lam" meaning "loam" or "muddy land" and "hythe" meaning "landing place" or "haven."
Lambeth was first recorded as a place name in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive survey of land ownership and taxation commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry in the Domesday Book refers to the area as "Lambehitha," indicating that the name was already established by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lambeth dates back to 1273, when a John de Lambeth was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Warwickshire. The use of the preposition "de" suggests that he hailed from the area of Lambeth.
In the 14th century, a certain William de Lambeth was a prominent clergyman who served as the Bishop of St David's in Wales from 1347 to 1358. This historical figure further cements the connection between the surname and the place name.
During the 15th century, a notable individual with the surname Lambeth was John Lambeth, a merchant and member of the Drapers' Company in London, who was born around 1430 and died in 1492.
Moving into the 16th century, we find Thomas Lambeth, a playwright and poet who lived from 1545 to 1599. He is known for his work "The Virtuous Wife," which was published in 1583.
In the 17th century, a prominent figure with the surname Lambeth was Sir William Lambeth, a politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for Warwickshire from 1640 to 1653. He was born in 1592 and died in 1667.
The surname Lambeth has continued to be used throughout the centuries, with various individuals bearing the name making their mark in different fields. However, it is important to note that the historical references and individuals mentioned above are from older records and sources, as the history and origin of the name are primarily rooted in the past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lambeth
Among Census respondents with the surname Lambeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lambeth 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 Lambeth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.0% · 2,997
- Two or more races4.8% · 164
- Black or African American2.9% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 87
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 23
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lambeth
Lambeth 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
#8,891
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,682
+64 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 1.25
Rank movement Down 492 places
2020
#9,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,405
-277 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 310 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,399 | 3,618 | 1.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,891 | 3,682 | 1.25 | +64 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 492 places |
| 2020 | #9,201 | 3,405 | 1.14 | -277 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 310 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 Lambeth 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 | #8,891 | #9,201 | -3.5% |
| Count | 3,682 | 3,405 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.25 | 1.14 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lambeth bearers went from 3,682 to 3,405 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 310 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,891 to #9,201.
FAQ
Lambeth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lambeth?
Name Census estimates that about 3,905 living Americans carry the surname Lambeth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,773 residents.
How common is Lambeth?
Lambeth ranks #9,201 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 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 3,405 people with the surname Lambeth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,905), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 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 Lambeth.
Has Lambeth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lambeth went from 3,682 recorded bearers to 3,405. That is a decrease of 277 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,891 to #9,201.
What does the Census say about the background of Lambeth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lambeth, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (2.9%). 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 Lambeth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.0% (2,997 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lambeth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Black (2.9%). 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 Lambeth (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 Lambeth mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a landing place for 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 Lambeth (1.14 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 Lambeth?
You can see how many people are called Lambeth on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.