2000
#7,631
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,015
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.49
Rare Last name
Lauderdale
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "valley of the River Leader."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,575 Americans carry the last name Lauderdale. That puts it at #7,962 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 74,919 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.6K
1 in 74,919
Census rank
#7,962
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,990 bearers of the surname Lauderdale in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 7962nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lauderdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lauderdale
The surname Lauderdale originates from Scotland and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the lands of Lauderdale, an area located in the Scottish Borders region. The name is believed to come from the Old English words "hlāw" meaning a hill or mound, and "dæl" meaning a valley or dale.
The earliest recorded use of the name Lauderdale can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which documented Scottish nobles who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. One of the signatories was Robert de Lawedre, whose name referred to the lands of Lauderdale.
In the 14th century, the Lauderdale family became prominent landowners in the Scottish Borders region. Sir Robert Lauder of Lauderdale, who lived in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, was a notable figure and is mentioned in various historical records.
The Lauderdale name has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall (1646-1722), was a Scottish lawyer and judge who served as Lord of Session. James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale (1759-1839), was a Scottish politician and diplomat who served as a Secretary of State for Scotland.
Other notable individuals with the surname Lauderdale include:
1. Sir Thomas Dick Lauder (1784-1848), a Scottish novelist and author.
2. Harry Lauder (1870-1950), a Scottish singer and comedian who was one of the most popular entertainers of his time.
3. Brigadier Sir Harry Lauder (1896-1987), a British Army officer who served in both World Wars.
4. Sir John Lauder, Lord Fountainhall (1646-1722), a Scottish judge and legal writer.
5. James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale (1759-1839), a Scottish politician and diplomat.
The name Lauderdale has also been associated with various place names, such as Lauderdale House in London, which was built in the 16th century and served as the residence of the Earls of Lauderdale. Additionally, there are several towns and villages in Scotland that bear variations of the name, including Lauder and Lauderdale.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lauderdale
Among Census respondents with the surname Lauderdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lauderdale 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 Lauderdale surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.5% · 2,492
- Black or African American26.4% · 1,052
- Two or more races5.8% · 230
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 164
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lauderdale
Lauderdale 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
#8,144
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,070
+55 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.38
Rank movement Down 513 places
2020
#7,962
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,990
-80 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.33
Rank movement Up 182 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,631 | 4,015 | 1.49 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,144 | 4,070 | 1.38 | +55 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 513 places |
| 2020 | #7,962 | 3,990 | 1.33 | -80 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 182 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 Lauderdale 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 | #8,144 | #7,962 | 2.2% |
| Count | 4,070 | 3,990 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.38 | 1.33 | -3.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lauderdale bearers went from 4,070 to 3,990 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 182 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,144 to #7,962.
FAQ
Lauderdale surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lauderdale?
Name Census estimates that about 4,575 living Americans carry the surname Lauderdale. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 74,919 residents.
How common is Lauderdale?
Lauderdale ranks #7,962 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.33 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 3,990 people with the surname Lauderdale. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,575), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.33 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 Lauderdale.
Has Lauderdale become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lauderdale went from 4,070 recorded bearers to 3,990. That is a decrease of 80 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #8,144 to #7,962.
What does the Census say about the background of Lauderdale?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lauderdale, the largest self-reported group is White at 62.5%. The next largest groups are Black (26.4%) and Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Lauderdale in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.5% (2,492 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lauderdale appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (62.5%), Black (26.4%), Two or More Races (5.8%). 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 Lauderdale (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 Lauderdale mean?
A Scottish toponymic surname derived from a place name meaning "valley of the River Leader." 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 Lauderdale (1.33 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 last name Lauderdale?
See how many people have the last name Lauderdale on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.