2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Laten
A name derived from late, meaning someone who arrived late or delayed.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Laten. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Laten 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Laten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Laten, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Laten
The surname LATEN has its origins in the Low Countries, specifically in the Netherlands and Belgium, during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Middle Dutch word "laten," which means "to let" or "to allow." This surname was likely given to someone who was a toll collector or gatekeeper, responsible for allowing or denying entry into a town or other restricted area.
In the 13th century, variations of the name, such as "Laten" and "Latenere," appeared in Dutch and Flemish records, indicating the presence of individuals bearing this surname. One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the "Oorkondenboek van Holland en Zeeland," a collection of historical documents from the region, dating back to 1285.
During the 14th century, the surname LATEN gained prominence in the region, with several notable individuals bearing this name. For instance, Jan Laten, a merchant from Bruges, Belgium, was mentioned in the city's trade records in 1367. Additionally, a family by the name of Laten owned a estate near the town of Delft, Netherlands, in the late 1300s.
In the 15th century, the name LATEN appeared in the "Rijmkroniek van Holland," a Dutch chronicle that documented historical events in the region. This mention suggests that the surname was well-established by that time.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname LATEN was Joost Laten, a Dutch painter who lived from 1556 to 1599. He was renowned for his portraits and religious works, which can still be found in various museums and churches throughout the Netherlands.
Another notable figure was Pieter Laten, a Flemish architect and engineer who lived from 1610 to 1678. He was responsible for designing several important buildings in Antwerp, including the Vleeshuis (Meat Hall) and the Bourse (Stock Exchange).
In the 18th century, a Dutch merchant named Dirk Laten (1722-1798) established a successful trading company that exported goods to various parts of Europe and the Americas. His business ventures contributed to the economic prosperity of the Netherlands during that era.
As the surname LATEN spread beyond the Low Countries, it also became associated with certain place names. For instance, the town of Latene in Belgium was likely named after an individual or family bearing this surname, reflecting their presence or influence in the area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Laten
Among Census respondents with the surname Laten, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Hispanic (7.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Laten 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 Laten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.9% · 85
- Black or African American9.8% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- Two or more races7.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Laten
Laten 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,655 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 21,655 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,498 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 Laten 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 | #150,452 | #147,954 | 1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 112 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Laten bearers went from 109 to 112 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #147,954.
FAQ
Laten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Laten?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Laten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Laten?
Laten ranks #147,954 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 112 people with the surname Laten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Laten.
Has Laten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Laten went from 109 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Laten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Laten, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.9%. The next largest groups are Black (9.8%) and Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Laten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.9% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Laten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.9%), Black (9.8%), Hispanic (7.1%). 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 Laten (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 Laten mean?
A name derived from late, meaning someone who arrived late or delayed. 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 Laten (0.04 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 Laten?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.