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

Lampson, 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 Lampson surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lampson in America

Lampson is the 28525th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lampson surname appeared 836 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lampson.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lampson 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 Lampson

The surname Lampson has its origins in England, dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "lamp" and "son," which together mean "son of the lamp keeper" or "son of the lamp maker." This occupational name likely referred to individuals who were responsible for maintaining lamps or producing lamp oil in churches, monasteries, or other religious establishments.

The earliest known record of the name Lampson can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, which lists a Richard Lampsone. Another early mention is in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1301, where a John Lampeson is recorded as a taxpayer.

In the 14th century, the Lampson family had established roots in various parts of England, including Yorkshire, Oxfordshire, and Gloucestershire. The name appeared in various spellings, such as Lampsone, Lampeson, and Lampson, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling during that time.

One notable individual with the surname Lampson was Sir William Lampson (1504-1578), who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1568. He was a wealthy merchant and was knighted by Queen Elizabeth I for his services to the city.

Another prominent figure was John Lampson (1640-1702), a Puritan minister who served as the rector of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham. He was a vocal critic of the Church of England's practices and was briefly imprisoned for his nonconformist views.

In the 18th century, the Lampson family had a presence in the town of Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. One member, Richard Lampson (1715-1789), was a successful businessman and served as the Mayor of Stratford-upon-Avon in 1771.

The name Lampson also has connections to the American colonies. Thomas Lampson (1639-1703) was one of the early settlers in Ipswich, Massachusetts, arriving in the 1630s. His descendants went on to establish themselves in various parts of New England and beyond.

Another notable figure was Benjamin Lampson (1765-1842), a Revolutionary War veteran from Connecticut who later became a prominent farmer and landowner in Onondaga County, New York. He played a role in the early development of the region and had several townships named after him.

Overall, the surname Lampson has a rich history spanning several centuries, with its origins rooted in medieval England and ties to various occupations, religious establishments, and prominent individuals throughout the ages.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lampson

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

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

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lampson, 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!