2000
#9,603
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.15
Rare Last name
Lavine
A French toponymic surname derived from several places named La Vine, likely referring to a vineyard or vine-covered area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,334 Americans carry the last name Lavine. That puts it at #10,525 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 102,806 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lavine 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 Lavine with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.3K
1 in 102,806
Census rank
#10,525
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,907 bearers of the surname Lavine in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10525th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavine, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lavine
The surname LAVINE is believed to have originated in France during the Middle Ages, deriving from the Old French word "lavigne" or "lavine," meaning "vineyard." This surname was likely first adopted by individuals who lived near or worked in vineyards, reflecting their occupation or place of residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LAVINE surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of land and landholdings in England conducted in 1086 by order of William the Conqueror. The name appears as "de la Vine," suggesting a connection to a specific vineyard or wine-making region.
As the surname spread across Europe, various spelling variations emerged, such as LAVIGNE, LAVIGNY, and LAVINIA. These variations often reflected regional dialects or the preferences of local record keepers. In some regions, the name also took on more localized forms, like LAVINE in parts of Italy and LAVINAS in Spain.
One notable bearer of the LAVINE surname was Jean-Baptiste Lavine (1645-1719), a French painter and engraver who achieved recognition for his portraiture and religious works. Another prominent individual was Pierre-François Lavine (1737-1812), a French military officer who fought in the American Revolutionary War and later served as a general under Napoleon Bonaparte.
In England, the LAVINE surname can be traced back to the 16th century, with records showing a John Lavine residing in Sussex in 1567. A few centuries later, Samuel Lavine (1780-1854), an English businessman and philanthropist, made significant contributions to the development of Manchester and the surrounding area.
Across the Atlantic, one of the earliest recorded instances of the LAVINE surname in the United States dates back to the late 18th century. Jacob Lavine (1765-1842), a German immigrant, settled in Pennsylvania and became a respected farmer and community leader.
Throughout history, the LAVINE surname has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, including artists, military figures, entrepreneurs, and community leaders. While the name's origins lie in the vineyards of medieval France, it has since spread across continents and cultures, reflecting the rich tapestry of human migration and settlement.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lavine
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavine, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lavine 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 Lavine surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.7% · 2,202
- Black or African American14.8% · 431
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 126
- Two or more races4.2% · 123
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lavine
Lavine 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
#9,932
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,248
+142 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 1.10
Rank movement Down 329 places
2020
#10,525
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,907
-341 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Down 593 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,603 | 3,106 | 1.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,932 | 3,248 | 1.10 | +142 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 329 places |
| 2020 | #10,525 | 2,907 | 0.97 | -341 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 593 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 Lavine 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 | #9,932 | #10,525 | -6.0% |
| Count | 3,248 | 2,907 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.10 | 0.97 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lavine bearers went from 3,248 to 2,907 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 593 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,932 to #10,525.
FAQ
Lavine surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lavine?
Name Census estimates that about 3,334 living Americans carry the surname Lavine. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 102,806 residents.
How common is Lavine?
Lavine ranks #10,525 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.97 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 2,907 people with the surname Lavine. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,334), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.97 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 Lavine.
Has Lavine become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lavine went from 3,248 recorded bearers to 2,907. That is a decrease of 341 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,932 to #10,525.
What does the Census say about the background of Lavine?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavine, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.7%. The next largest groups are Black (14.8%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Lavine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.7% (2,202 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lavine appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.7%), Black (14.8%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Lavine (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 Lavine mean?
A French toponymic surname derived from several places named La Vine, likely referring to a vineyard or vine-covered area. 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 Lavine (0.97 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 are called Lavine?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Lavine, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.