2000
#28,947
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 773
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.29
Very Rare Last name
Laraway
An occupational surname referring to a road or path maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 906 Americans carry the last name Laraway. That puts it at #31,403 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 378,316 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Laraway 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 Laraway with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
906
1 in 378,316
Census rank
#31,403
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
790
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 790 bearers of the surname Laraway in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 31403rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Laraway, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Laraway
The surname Laraway is believed to have originated in England, specifically in the southern counties of Dorset and Somerset, during the late medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name derived from a place called 'Lare' or 'Lare Way', which may have referred to a particular road or path in the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Somerset from 1327, where a John de Lareway was listed as a taxpayer. This suggests that the name had already been established in the area by the 14th century.
In the 15th century, the name appeared in various forms, including Lareweye, Larewaye, and Larewaie, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that era. These spellings often reflected the local dialects and accents of the time.
A notable figure bearing the Laraway name was John Laraway, who lived in the early 16th century and was mentioned in the Court Rolls of Axminster, Devon, in 1523. He was listed as a landowner and member of the local gentry.
Another individual of historical significance was Thomas Laraway, a merchant and ship owner from Bristol, who was actively involved in the transatlantic trade during the 17th century. Records indicate that he participated in voyages to the West Indies and the American colonies.
In the late 18th century, a man named William Laraway gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker in the town of Bridport, Dorset. His timepieces were highly regarded and some examples of his work can still be found in museums and private collections.
During the 19th century, the Laraway surname spread more widely across England, with families bearing this name residing in various counties, including Wiltshire, Hampshire, and Gloucestershire. One notable figure from this era was George Laraway, a renowned architect who designed several churches and public buildings in London and the surrounding areas.
While the Laraway surname is not among the most common in England, it has persisted through the centuries and can be traced back to its roots in the southern counties of Dorset and Somerset, where it originated as a locational name reflecting the region's geography and local landmarks.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Laraway
Among Census respondents with the surname Laraway, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Laraway 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 Laraway surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.8% · 717
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 29
- Two or more races3.7% · 29
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 8
- Black or African American0.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Laraway
Laraway 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
#29,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 805
+32 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.27
Rank movement Down 419 places
2020
#31,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 790
-15 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Down 2,037 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #28,947 | 773 | 0.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #29,366 | 805 | 0.27 | +32 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 419 places |
| 2020 | #31,403 | 790 | 0.26 | -15 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 2,037 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 Laraway 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 | #29,366 | #31,403 | -6.9% |
| Count | 805 | 790 | -1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.27 | 0.26 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Laraway bearers went from 805 to 790 (-1.9% change). The surname moved down 2,037 positions in the national ranking, going from #29,366 to #31,403.
FAQ
Laraway surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Laraway?
Name Census estimates that about 906 living Americans carry the surname Laraway. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 378,316 residents.
How common is Laraway?
Laraway ranks #31,403 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 790 people with the surname Laraway. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (906), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Laraway.
Has Laraway become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Laraway went from 805 recorded bearers to 790. That is a decrease of 15 (-1.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #29,366 to #31,403.
What does the Census say about the background of Laraway?
Among Census respondents with the surname Laraway, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Laraway in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.8% (717 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Laraway appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.8%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Laraway (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 Laraway mean?
An occupational surname referring to a road or path maker. 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 Laraway (0.26 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 common is the surname Laraway?
Want to know how many people are called Laraway? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.