2000
#11,388
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,537
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.94
Rare Last name
Larimer
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "lake or pool with a sandy shore."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,668 Americans carry the last name Larimer. That puts it at #12,671 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.78 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 128,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Larimer 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.
Bearers in the US
2.7K
1 in 128,469
Census rank
#12,671
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,327 bearers of the surname Larimer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.78 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12671st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Larimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Larimer
The surname Larimer has its origins in England, with the earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old English words "laer" meaning "a place of learning" and "mere" which means "a pool or lake." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with someone who lived near a body of water where a school or place of education was located.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Larimer can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1195, which mentions a person named Robertus de Larmere. Additionally, the Rotuli Hundredorum from 1273 contains a reference to a place called "Larmere" in the county of Wiltshire.
During the 13th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as Larmere, Larmare, and Larmyre, reflecting the variations in spelling that were common at the time. It is also worth noting that the name Larimer may have been influenced by the Norman-French word "larimer," which means "to weep or lament."
In the 14th century, the name Larimer was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was John Larimer, a landowner from Oxfordshire who was mentioned in the Court Rolls of 1347. Another was William Larimer, a merchant from London who was recorded in the city's records in 1386.
In the 16th century, the name Larimer gained prominence with Sir Thomas Larimer (1498-1573), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament from Nottinghamshire. His grandson, Sir John Larimer (1555-1618), was also a prominent figure who served as a Member of Parliament and held various offices in the county of Nottinghamshire.
The 17th century saw the birth of Robert Larimer (1620-1689), a Puritan minister and author from Lincolnshire. He wrote several religious works, including "The Christian's Guide to Heaven" and "The Faithful Shepherd."
In the 18th century, the name Larimer was associated with the place name "Larimer County" in Colorado, United States. This county was named after William Larimer Jr. (1809-1858), a pioneer and one of the founders of Denver, Colorado.
Throughout history, the surname Larimer has been carried by numerous individuals, including authors, politicians, and pioneers, highlighting its enduring presence across various regions and time periods.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Larimer
Among Census respondents with the surname Larimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Larimer 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 Larimer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,134
- Two or more races3.5% · 81
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 30
- Black or African American0.8% · 18
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Larimer
Larimer 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
#12,083
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,579
+42 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 695 places
2020
#12,671
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,327
-252 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.78
Rank movement Down 588 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,388 | 2,537 | 0.94 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,083 | 2,579 | 0.87 | +42 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 695 places |
| 2020 | #12,671 | 2,327 | 0.78 | -252 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 588 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 Larimer 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 | #12,083 | #12,671 | -4.9% |
| Count | 2,579 | 2,327 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.78 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Larimer bearers went from 2,579 to 2,327 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 588 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,083 to #12,671.
FAQ
Larimer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Larimer?
Name Census estimates that about 2,668 living Americans carry the surname Larimer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 128,469 residents.
How common is Larimer?
Larimer ranks #12,671 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.78 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 2,327 people with the surname Larimer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,668), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.78 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.78 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 Larimer.
Has Larimer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Larimer went from 2,579 recorded bearers to 2,327. That is a decrease of 252 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,083 to #12,671.
What does the Census say about the background of Larimer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Larimer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Larimer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,134 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Larimer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Larimer (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 Larimer mean?
An English toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "lake or pool with a sandy shore." 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 Larimer (0.78 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 share the surname Larimer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.