Find out how popular the last name Latta is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Latta.

Latta, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Latta surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Latta in America

Latta is the 5642nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Latta surname appeared 6,155 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Latta.

We can also compare 2010 data for Latta to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Latta

The surname Latta originated in Scotland during the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Middle English word 'lat', meaning a barn or outhouse for storing crops. The name was likely initially used as a descriptive term for someone who lived near or worked in such a building.

The earliest recorded instances of the Latta surname can be found in Scottish records from the 13th century. One of the earliest documented individuals with this name was John de Lath, who was mentioned in the Exchequer Rolls of Scotland in 1290.

In the 14th century, the name appeared in various spellings, including Lath, Lathe, and Laithe, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling of the time. One notable bearer of the name during this period was William Lath, a landowner in Berwickshire, who was mentioned in the Ragman Rolls of 1296.

The Latta surname is also associated with several place names in Scotland, such as Lathalmond in Fife and Lathockar in Lanarkshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the Latta surname. One of the earliest was John Latta, a Scottish merchant and landowner who lived in the 16th century (c. 1540-1610). Another prominent figure was James Latta, a Scottish minister and author born in 1672, who wrote influential works on theology.

In the 18th century, Samuel Latta (1722-1801) was a Presbyterian minister and educator who founded Latta Plantation in North Carolina. His grandson, James Latta (1779-1858), was a prominent lawyer and judge in South Carolina.

Another notable bearer of the Latta name was Raphael Semmes Latta (1838-1909), a Confederate officer during the American Civil War who later became a lawyer and judge in Mississippi.

The Latta surname has also been associated with various industries and professions over the centuries, including agriculture, trade, and law. While the name originated in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and settlement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Latta

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Latta.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Latta was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Latta has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Latta was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Latta, please contact us.

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