2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lamley
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "farm or clearing by the stream".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Lamley. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lamley 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 Lamley with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Lamley in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lamley
The surname Lamley is of English origin, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is believed to have derived from the Old English words "lam" meaning "lamb" and "leah" signifying "clearing" or "meadow." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals residing in a hamlet or settlement where lambs grazed in the surrounding meadows.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lamley can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a comprehensive survey of landowners conducted in 1273 during the reign of King Edward I. This document mentions a certain Robertus de Lamlee, indicating the presence of the name in the county of Norfolk during the 13th century.
In the 16th century, the Lamley surname appears in various historical records, including parish registers and tax rolls. One notable example is John Lamley, a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Norwich, who lived from 1525 to 1589. His legacy is commemorated in the Lamley Room, a historic chamber located within the Norwich Guildhall.
The Lamley surname also has ties to the village of Lambley in Nottinghamshire, which may have served as a source for the name's origin or an early settlement for some of its bearers. Records from the 17th century mention individuals such as William Lamley, born in 1623, and Thomas Lamley, born in 1675, both hailing from this region.
Another noteworthy figure bearing the Lamley surname was Sir Charles Lamley, a British naval officer who served during the 18th century. Born in 1720, he distinguished himself in various naval engagements and was knighted for his bravery and leadership during the Seven Years' War.
The Lamley name also found its way across the Atlantic, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of Robert Lamley, who arrived in Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634. This suggests that individuals with this surname were among the early English settlers in Colonial America.
Other notable individuals with the Lamley surname include William Lamley, a prominent lawyer and judge in New York City in the late 18th century, and James Lamley, a British explorer and naturalist who documented the flora and fauna of Australia in the early 19th century, born in 1785 and died in 1848.
While the Lamley surname may not be as widespread as some others, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, military officers, lawyers, and explorers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lamley
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lamley 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 Lamley surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 106
- Black or African American5.8% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lamley
Lamley 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-6 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,994 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+9 bearers (+8.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 14,994 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.0%) | Up 5,944 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 Lamley 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 | #147,253 | #141,309 | 4.0% |
| Count | 112 | 121 | 8.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lamley bearers went from 112 to 121 (+8.0% change). The surname moved up 5,944 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #141,309.
FAQ
Lamley surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lamley?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Lamley. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Lamley?
Lamley ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 121 people with the surname Lamley. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lamley.
Has Lamley become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lamley went from 112 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 9 (+8.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Lamley?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamley, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Lamley in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lamley appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), Black (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Lamley (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 Lamley mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "farm or clearing by the stream". 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 Lamley (0.04 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 surname Lamley?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.