2000
#114,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lawford
A locational surname referring to someone from the English place name Lawford.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 190 Americans carry the last name Lawford. That puts it at #112,515 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,803,970 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lawford 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 Lawford with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
190
1 in 1,803,970
Census rank
#112,515
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
166
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 166 bearers of the surname Lawford in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 112515th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (9.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lawford
The surname Lawford is of English origin, derived from a place name located in the county of Essex. The name is believed to have originated in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of England in 1066.
Lawford is a compound word formed from the Old English words "hlaw" meaning "hill" or "mound" and "ford" meaning a shallow river crossing or ford. It refers to a settlement or village located near a ford across a river, situated on or near a hill or mound.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lawford appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, a comprehensive survey of landholdings and population across England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a manor in Essex called "Lauuafort," which is believed to be the modern-day Lawford.
In the 13th century, records show a William de Lawford, who was a landowner and knight from the village of Lawford in Essex. Another early example is John Lawford, who was a member of the Parliament of England in 1322, representing the county of Essex.
During the 16th century, the surname Lawford began to spread beyond its place of origin as people migrated to other parts of England. One notable figure was William Lawford (c. 1535-1609), an English Protestant clergyman and author who served as the rector of Crambrook in Kent.
In the 17th century, the spelling of the name varied, with forms such as Lauford, Lawforde, and Lawforth appearing in historical records. Robert Lawford (1616-1693) was an English politician who served as a member of the House of Commons and was a supporter of the Parliamentary cause during the English Civil War.
In more recent times, the surname Lawford has been associated with several notable individuals, including the American actor Peter Lawford (1923-1984), who was a member of the famous Rat Pack alongside Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin. Another famous bearer of the name was the English actress and author Patricia Lawford (1923-2004), who was married to Peter Lawford's cousin.
Overall, the surname Lawford has a rich history rooted in the English countryside, and its origins can be traced back to the Norman Conquest and the Domesday Book. While the name has spread throughout England and beyond over the centuries, its earliest recorded examples remain firmly connected to the village of Lawford in Essex.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lawford
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (9.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lawford 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 Lawford surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.3% · 110
- Black or African American18.1% · 30
- Two or more races9.0% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lawford
Lawford 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-34 bearers (-24.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 37,776 places
2020
#112,515
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 166
+59 bearers (+55.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 40,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #114,852 | 141 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -34 bearers (-24.1%) | Down 37,776 places |
| 2020 | #112,515 | 166 | 0.06 | +59 bearers (+55.1%) | Up 40,113 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 Lawford 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 | #152,628 | #112,515 | 26.3% |
| Count | 107 | 166 | 55.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.06 | 38.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lawford bearers went from 107 to 166 (+55.1% change). The surname moved up 40,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #112,515.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lawford
FAQ
Lawford surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lawford?
Name Census estimates that about 190 living Americans carry the surname Lawford. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,803,970 residents.
How common is Lawford?
Lawford ranks #112,515 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 166 people with the surname Lawford. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (190), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Lawford.
Has Lawford become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lawford went from 107 recorded bearers to 166. That is an increase of 59 (+55.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #112,515.
What does the Census say about the background of Lawford?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawford, the largest self-reported group is White at 66.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.1%) and Two or More Races (9.0%). 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 Lawford in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.3% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lawford appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (66.3%), Black (18.1%), Two or More Races (9.0%). 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 Lawford (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 Lawford mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the English place name Lawford. 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 Lawford (0.06 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 common is the surname Lawford?
You can see how many people have the last name Lawford on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.