2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lancashire
A locational surname derived from the historic county of Lancashire in northwest England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Lancashire. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lancashire 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 Lancashire with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Lancashire in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lancashire, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Black (5.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lancashire
The surname Lancashire originated in the county of Lancashire in northwest England. It is a locational surname, derived from the name of the region. The name Lancashire itself comes from the Old English "Lonecastrescir," which means "the territory or former Roman province of the city by the lon (or stream)."
The earliest known record of the surname Lancashire dates back to the late 12th century. An entry in the Pipe Rolls of Lancashire from 1197 mentions a Richard de Loncaster. Other early spellings of the name include Lancastre, Loncastre, and Loncastyr.
In the 13th century, the Lancashire surname appeared in various records, such as the Curia Regis Rolls of 1201, which listed a Robert de Loncaster. The Hundred Rolls of 1273 also mention a William de Loncaster.
One of the most notable historical figures with the surname Lancashire was Henry of Lancaster, also known as Henry IV of England (1367-1413). He was the son of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster, and succeeded his cousin, Richard II, to the English throne in 1399.
Another prominent individual was Sir James Lancashire (c. 1594-1671), an English merchant and politician who served as Lord Mayor of London in 1643 and 1644. He was a member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers and a staunch supporter of the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.
In the 17th century, John Lancashire (1638-1695) was an English clergyman and academic who served as the President of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, from 1677 until his death.
The surname Lancashire also has connections to the town of Lancaster in Lancashire county. A notable person from this town was Roger of Lancaster (c. 1245-1320), an English nobleman and military commander who served as a regent during the reign of Edward II.
Another individual worth mentioning is Sir Edward Lancashire (1670-1742), an English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Wigan in 1722 and 1727.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lancashire
Among Census respondents with the surname Lancashire, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Black (5.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lancashire 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 Lancashire surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.7% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino9.2% · 10
- Black or African American5.5% · 6
- Two or more races4.6% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lancashire
Lancashire 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+13 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,148 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-15 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,612 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 3,148 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 14,612 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 Lancashire 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 | #135,593 | #150,205 | -10.8% |
| Count | 124 | 109 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lancashire bearers went from 124 to 109 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 14,612 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #150,205.
FAQ
Lancashire surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lancashire?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Lancashire. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Lancashire?
Lancashire ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Lancashire. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Lancashire.
Has Lancashire become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lancashire went from 124 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Lancashire?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lancashire, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.2%) and Black (5.5%). 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 Lancashire in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.7% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lancashire appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.7%), Hispanic (9.2%), Black (5.5%). 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 Lancashire (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 Lancashire mean?
A locational surname derived from the historic county of Lancashire in northwest England. 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 Lancashire (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 Lancashire?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.