2000
#2,488
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,272
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.92
Uncommon Last name
Lawton
A locational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Lawton in England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,628 Americans carry the last name Lawton. That puts it at #2,749 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.27 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,431 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lawton 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 Lawton with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,431
Census rank
#2,749
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,756 bearers of the surname Lawton in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.27 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2749th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawton, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lawton
The surname Lawton is of English origin, with its roots traceable back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the place name "Lawton" in Cheshire, England. The place name itself is thought to be derived from the Old English words "hlaw" meaning hill and "tun" meaning settlement or enclosure, indicating a settlement on a hill.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership commissioned by William the Conqueror, the place name "Lauton" is mentioned, which is believed to be an early spelling of Lawton. This suggests that the surname Lawton was likely in use by the 11th century, as locational surnames were commonly adopted by those who migrated from their place of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lawton can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Staffordshire in 1199, which mentions a Richard de Lauton. This provides evidence of the surname's use in the late 12th century. Additionally, the Pipe Rolls of Cheshire from 1260 reference a Richard de Lauton, further solidifying the surname's connection to the Cheshire area.
Over the centuries, various spellings of the surname have been documented, including Lauton, Lawton, Laueton, and Lauton. Individuals bearing this surname have been documented across various regions of England, particularly in Cheshire, Lancashire, and Staffordshire.
Notable individuals with the surname Lawton include:
1. John Lawton (c. 1615-1665), an English soldier and colonist who served as a commander in the Parliamentary Army during the English Civil War and later emigrated to New England.
2. William Lawton (c. 1737-1807), an American military officer who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
3. Henry Ware Lawton (1843-1899), a highly decorated American military officer who served in the Civil War, the Spanish-American War, and the Philippine-American War.
4. Wilbur Lawton (1918-1992), an American actor known for his roles in television shows and films such as "The Untouchables" and "Papillon."
5. Lena Lawton (1948-2008), a British actress and singer who appeared in numerous stage productions and television shows, including "EastEnders" and "Grange Hill."
While the surname Lawton has its origins in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and New Zealand, often through immigration and settlement patterns.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lawton
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawton, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lawton 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 Lawton surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.5% · 8,999
- Black or African American21.0% · 2,682
- Two or more races4.0% · 514
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 408
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 111
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 42
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lawton
Lawton 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
#2,630
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,713
+441 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 4.65
Rank movement Down 142 places
2020
#2,749
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,756
-957 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 4.27
Rank movement Down 119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,488 | 13,272 | 4.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,630 | 13,713 | 4.65 | +441 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 142 places |
| 2020 | #2,749 | 12,756 | 4.27 | -957 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 119 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 Lawton 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 | #2,630 | #2,749 | -4.5% |
| Count | 13,713 | 12,756 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 4.65 | 4.27 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lawton bearers went from 13,713 to 12,756 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 119 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,630 to #2,749.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lawton
FAQ
Lawton surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lawton?
Name Census estimates that about 14,628 living Americans carry the surname Lawton. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,431 residents.
How common is Lawton?
Lawton ranks #2,749 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.27 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,756 people with the surname Lawton. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,628), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.27 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.27 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Lawton.
Has Lawton become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lawton went from 13,713 recorded bearers to 12,756. That is a decrease of 957 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,630 to #2,749.
What does the Census say about the background of Lawton?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lawton, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.5%. The next largest groups are Black (21.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Lawton in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.5% (8,999 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lawton appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.5%), Black (21.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Lawton (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 Lawton mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Lawton in England. 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 Lawton (4.27 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 Lawton?
You can see how common the surname Lawton is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.