2000
#6,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,450
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.65
Rare Last name
Landreth
An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "woodland clearing with a drain or stream."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,639 Americans carry the last name Landreth. That puts it at #7,869 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.35 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 73,885 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Landreth 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 Landreth with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 73,885
Census rank
#7,869
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,045 bearers of the surname Landreth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.35 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7869th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Landreth, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Landreth
The surname Landreth has its origins in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to be a locational name derived from the Old English words "land" and "raed," which together mean "land clearing" or "land path." This suggests that the name likely originated from a place where land was cleared for settlement or a path was made through the land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Landreth can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where a person named Robert de la Landreth is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time, potentially originating even earlier.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Landrethe and Landraith, indicating variations in spelling and pronunciation. The Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 list a Thomas de Landraith, while the Assize Rolls of Staffordshire from 1356 mention a John Landrethe.
The Landreth surname has been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One of the earliest recorded was Thomas Landreth, born in 1528 in Woodhall, Lincolnshire. He was a member of the clergy and served as the Rector of Leadenham from 1566 until his death in 1587.
Another prominent figure was John Landreth, born in 1616 in Westmorland, England. He was a Puritan minister who emigrated to New England in the 17th century and became a prominent figure in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.
In the late 18th century, David Landreth (1752-1828) established the Landreth Seed Company in Philadelphia, which became one of the oldest and most respected seed companies in the United States. The company was passed down through generations of the Landreth family and played a significant role in the development of American agriculture.
One of the more recent notable individuals with the Landreth surname was John Landreth (1921-2001), an American author and journalist. He wrote several books on American history and culture, including "The Face of Dixie: A Southern Almanac" and "The Hunt for Willie Boy."
Another notable bearer of the Landreth name was Terrill Landreth (1944-2022), an American businessman and philanthropist. He co-founded the successful software company Spinnaker Software and later became involved in various philanthropic endeavors, particularly in the field of education.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Landreth
Among Census respondents with the surname Landreth, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Landreth 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 Landreth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.6% · 3,582
- Two or more races5.1% · 207
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 157
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 28
- Black or African American0.6% · 26
Timeline
Historical Census data for Landreth
Landreth 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
#7,298
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,568
+118 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 1.55
Rank movement Down 349 places
2020
#7,869
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,045
-523 bearers (-11.4%)
Per 100,000 1.35
Rank movement Down 571 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,949 | 4,450 | 1.65 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,298 | 4,568 | 1.55 | +118 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 349 places |
| 2020 | #7,869 | 4,045 | 1.35 | -523 bearers (-11.4%) | Down 571 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 Landreth 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 | #7,298 | #7,869 | -7.8% |
| Count | 4,568 | 4,045 | -11.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.55 | 1.35 | -12.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Landreth bearers went from 4,568 to 4,045 (-11.4% change). The surname moved down 571 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,298 to #7,869.
FAQ
Landreth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Landreth?
Name Census estimates that about 4,639 living Americans carry the surname Landreth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 73,885 residents.
How common is Landreth?
Landreth ranks #7,869 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.35 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 4,045 people with the surname Landreth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,639), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.35 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.35 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 Landreth.
Has Landreth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Landreth went from 4,568 recorded bearers to 4,045. That is a decrease of 523 (-11.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,298 to #7,869.
What does the Census say about the background of Landreth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Landreth, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Landreth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.6% (3,582 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Landreth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.6%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (3.9%). 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 Landreth (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 Landreth mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "woodland clearing with a drain or 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 Landreth (1.35 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 Landreth?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.