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

Lance, 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 Lance surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lance in America

Lance is the 2747th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lance surname appeared 13,122 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Lance.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lance 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 Lance

The surname Lance has its origins in England and is derived from the Old French word "lance" which means a spear or lance. This name likely originated as an occupational surname for someone who was a maker or carrier of lances.

In the early medieval period, the surname Lance was found primarily in southern and central England, particularly in areas like Gloucestershire, Wiltshire, and Somerset. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lancius" in Gloucestershire.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name Lance can be found in various historical records, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273 and the Subsidy Rolls of 1327. These records mention individuals with variations of the name such as Launce, Launces, and Lances, indicating the diverse spellings used at the time.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Lance was Sir William Lance, a knight who lived in the late 13th century and held lands in Gloucestershire. Another notable figure was John Lance, a merchant from Bristol who was recorded in the city's archives in the early 15th century.

In the 16th century, the surname Lance was also found in the nearby county of Wiltshire, where the village of Lancing derived its name from the Lance family who held land there. A prominent member of this family was Thomas Lance (1516-1594), a wealthy landowner and member of the local gentry.

As the surname spread across England, it was also associated with various place names, such as Lancelyns in Essex and Lancelynns in Nottinghamshire. These place names likely originated from individuals bearing the surname Lance who had settled in those areas.

Throughout the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Lance, including:

1. Sir Ralph Lance (c. 1350-1420), a renowned English soldier who served under King Henry V in the Battle of Agincourt.
2. William Lance (1561-1615), an English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal under Queen Elizabeth I.
3. George Lance (1638-1714), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.
4. Richard Lance (1767-1840), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the prestigious Order of the Bath.
5. Mary Lance (1819-1891), an English author and poet who wrote several popular works in the Victorian era.

These examples illustrate the long and varied history of the surname Lance, which has its roots in medieval England and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lance

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

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

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