2000
#4,813
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,702
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.48
Rare Last name
Large
An English surname derived from a nickname referring to a person of tall or heavy stature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,369 Americans carry the last name Large. That puts it at #5,241 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 46,513 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Large 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 Large with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.4K
1 in 46,513
Census rank
#5,241
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,426 bearers of the surname Large in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5241st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Large, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Large
The surname Large is of English origin, derived from the Old French word "large," meaning "broad" or "wide." The name likely originated in the Middle Ages as a descriptive nickname for someone of large stature or broad build.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Large can be found in various medieval records and documents. One notable example is the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1176, which mention a Robert Large. Another early reference is the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327, which include a John le Large.
During the 13th and 14th centuries, the surname Large was also found in various forms, such as Larg, Largg, and Lerge, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation at the time. Some of these variations may have been influenced by regional dialects or scribal errors in record-keeping.
The surname Large is also associated with several place names in England, such as Large's Court in Kent and Large's Farm in Suffolk. These place names likely derived from individuals bearing the surname Large who owned or resided in those locations.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Large was John Large, who was born in Somerset, England, around 1490. He served as a member of parliament and held various positions in the local government.
Another notable figure was Sir Walter Large, born in Wiltshire in 1565. He was a prominent military commander and served as the Governor of Portsmouth during the English Civil War.
In the 18th century, Edward Large (1702-1786) was a renowned architect from Yorkshire, known for his work on several churches and country houses in the region.
During the 19th century, William Large (1837-1909) was a successful businessman and philanthropist from Lancashire. He made significant contributions to the development of his local community and funded the construction of several public buildings.
Finally, one of the most famous individuals with the surname Large was the English novelist and poet Thomas Large (1876-1944), whose works explored themes of love, loss, and the human condition.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the surname Large, which has its roots in the descriptive nicknames of medieval England and has since spread across the English-speaking world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Large
Among Census respondents with the surname Large, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Large 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 Large surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.4% · 5,552
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 295
- Two or more races4.1% · 263
- Black or African American2.7% · 173
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.4% · 90
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 53
Timeline
Historical Census data for Large
Large 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
#5,105
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,859
+157 bearers (+2.3%)
Per 100,000 2.33
Rank movement Down 292 places
2020
#5,241
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,426
-433 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 2.15
Rank movement Down 136 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,813 | 6,702 | 2.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,105 | 6,859 | 2.33 | +157 bearers (+2.3%) | Down 292 places |
| 2020 | #5,241 | 6,426 | 2.15 | -433 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 136 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 Large 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 | #5,105 | #5,241 | -2.7% |
| Count | 6,859 | 6,426 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.33 | 2.15 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Large bearers went from 6,859 to 6,426 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 136 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,105 to #5,241.
FAQ
Large surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Large?
Name Census estimates that about 7,369 living Americans carry the surname Large. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 46,513 residents.
How common is Large?
Large ranks #5,241 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.15 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,426 people with the surname Large. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,369), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.15 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Large.
Has Large become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Large went from 6,859 recorded bearers to 6,426. That is a decrease of 433 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,105 to #5,241.
What does the Census say about the background of Large?
Among Census respondents with the surname Large, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Large in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.4% (5,552 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Large appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.4%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Large (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 Large mean?
An English surname derived from a nickname referring to a person of tall or heavy stature. 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 Large (2.15 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 Large?
See how common the surname Large is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.