2000
#24,180
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 972
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.36
Rare Last name
Larner
A locational surname derived from a place name in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,159 Americans carry the last name Larner. That puts it at #25,582 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.34 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 295,733 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Larner 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 Larner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.2K
1 in 295,733
Census rank
#25,582
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,011 bearers of the surname Larner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.34 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 25582nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Larner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Larner
The surname LARNER is of English origin, emerging in the medieval period. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "larnier," which referred to a pantry or a person who was responsible for overseeing the storage of provisions. This occupation-based surname likely originated among those who worked in the kitchens or storerooms of noble households or monasteries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LARNER can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the late 12th century, where a person named Walter le Larner was listed. The use of the prefix "le" before the surname suggests that it was still considered an occupational descriptor at the time.
In the 13th century, the LARNER surname appears in various records, including the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire, where a John le Larner was mentioned. The name was also documented in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1292, which recorded a transaction involving a Robert le Larner.
By the 14th century, the surname had become more widespread, and variations in spelling emerged, such as Lardner, Lardenour, and Lardener. One notable bearer of the name from this period was John Lardener, a wealthy merchant from London who served as the Lord Mayor of the city in 1368.
In the 15th century, the LARNER surname continued to be found in various parts of England. One example is Thomas Lardener, a monk who lived in the Abbey of St. Albans in Hertfordshire during the 1460s.
Moving into the 16th century, the LARNER surname was associated with several notable individuals. Sir Ralph Lardener (c. 1480-1561) was a prominent lawyer and member of the English Parliament during the reign of Henry VIII. Meanwhile, Thomas Lardner (c. 1515-1570) was an English reformer and Protestant martyr who was burned at the stake for his religious beliefs.
In the 17th century, Nathaniel Lardner (1684-1768) was a renowned English theologian and author who wrote extensively on Christian apologetics and biblical criticism. His works were widely influential and earned him a reputation as one of the most learned scholars of his time.
The 18th century saw the birth of Dionysius Lardner (1793-1859), an Irish scientific writer and mathematician who made significant contributions to the fields of mechanics and engineering. He is particularly remembered for his influential work, "Treatise on the Steam Engine," which played a crucial role in the development of early steam technology.
Throughout its history, the LARNER surname has been associated with various occupations, from merchants and lawyers to scholars and writers. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, carrying with it a rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Larner
Among Census respondents with the surname Larner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Larner 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 Larner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.5% · 915
- Two or more races3.3% · 33
- Black or African American2.6% · 26
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 26
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Larner
Larner 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
#26,008
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 943
-29 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.32
Rank movement Down 1,828 places
2020
#25,582
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,011
+68 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.34
Rank movement Up 426 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #24,180 | 972 | 0.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #26,008 | 943 | 0.32 | -29 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 1,828 places |
| 2020 | #25,582 | 1,011 | 0.34 | +68 bearers (+7.2%) | Up 426 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 Larner 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 | #26,008 | #25,582 | 1.6% |
| Count | 943 | 1,011 | 7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.32 | 0.34 | 5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Larner bearers went from 943 to 1,011 (+7.2% change). The surname moved up 426 positions in the national ranking, going from #26,008 to #25,582.
FAQ
Larner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Larner?
Name Census estimates that about 1,159 living Americans carry the surname Larner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 295,733 residents.
How common is Larner?
Larner ranks #25,582 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.34 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 1,011 people with the surname Larner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,159), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.34 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.34 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 Larner.
Has Larner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Larner went from 943 recorded bearers to 1,011. That is an increase of 68 (+7.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #26,008 to #25,582.
What does the Census say about the background of Larner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Larner, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Larner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.5% (915 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Larner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.5%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Black (2.6%). 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 Larner (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 Larner mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in England. 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 Larner (0.34 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 Americans have the surname Larner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.