2000
#143,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Layburn
A topographic surname derived from an Old English term meaning a small stream or brook.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Layburn. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Layburn 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 Layburn with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Layburn in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Layburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Layburn
The surname Layburn is of English origin, specifically from the northern regions of England. It is a locational name, derived from a place name that likely referred to a burn or stream running through a clearing or meadow. The prefix "lay" is derived from the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or clearing, while "burn" is a Scottish and Northern English term for a small stream or brook.
The earliest known records of the surname Layburn date back to the late 12th century. One of the earliest documented instances is found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1195, where a person named Roger de Laiburn is mentioned. This suggests that the name originated from a place called Layburn or a similar spelling in Yorkshire or the surrounding areas.
In the 13th century, the Layburn surname appeared in various historical records, including the Feet of Fines for Yorkshire in 1246, where a Robert de Layburn is mentioned. This record provides evidence of the name's continued use and presence in the region during this period.
During the 14th century, the Layburn name was found in various manorial records and tax rolls. One notable example is John de Layburn, who was mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls for Yorkshire in 1379. This record indicates that the name was well-established and associated with landowners or taxpayers in the area.
In the 15th century, the Layburn surname can be found in various legal documents and court records. For instance, a Thomas Layburn was mentioned in the Court Rolls of the Manor of Wakefield in Yorkshire in 1447. This suggests that the name was still prevalent in the region and associated with local landholdings or legal matters.
Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the Layburn surname. One such figure was Sir John Layburn (1632-1702), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Yorkshire during the late 17th century. Another notable Layburn was William Layburn (1790-1857), a British architect and surveyor who worked on various projects in Yorkshire and the surrounding areas.
Other individuals with the Layburn surname include:
1. Robert Layburn (1704-1783), an English clergyman and author from Yorkshire.
2. Elizabeth Layburn (1829-1912), a British philanthropist and social reformer from Durham.
3. George Layburn (1838-1921), a Canadian businessman and politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Manitoba.
4. Thomas Layburn (1867-1943), an English cricketer who played for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in the late 19th century.
5. Edith Layburn (1872-1954), a British artist and painter known for her landscape paintings of the Yorkshire Dales.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Layburn
Among Census respondents with the surname Layburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Layburn 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 Layburn surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Layburn
Layburn 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+10 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 698 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-7 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,056 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #143,847 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 698 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 7,056 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 Layburn 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 | #143,149 | #150,205 | -4.9% |
| Count | 116 | 109 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Layburn bearers went from 116 to 109 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 7,056 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #150,205.
FAQ
Layburn surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Layburn?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Layburn. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Layburn?
Layburn ranks #150,205 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 109 people with the surname Layburn. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Layburn.
Has Layburn become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Layburn went from 116 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Layburn?
Among Census respondents with the surname Layburn, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Layburn in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Layburn appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (1.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Layburn (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 Layburn mean?
A topographic surname derived from an Old English term meaning a small stream or brook. 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 Layburn (0.04 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 Layburn?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Layburn on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.