Find out how popular the last name Layman is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Layman.

Layman, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Layman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Layman in America

Layman is the 3556th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Layman surname appeared 10,038 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Layman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Layman to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Layman

The surname LAYMAN is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period, likely in the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Old English word "leman," which initially referred to a beloved person or sweetheart, but later evolved to mean a secular or non-ordained person, as opposed to a member of the clergy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LAYMAN can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, where a certain William le Layman is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already in use by that time and may have initially been an occupational surname denoting a person who was not part of the religious order.

The LAYMAN surname is also thought to be associated with the village of Layman in Oxfordshire, which could have been a place of origin for some families bearing this name. In the 14th century, the village was referred to as "Leman" or "Leyman," indicating a possible connection to the name's etymology.

Notable individuals with the surname LAYMAN throughout history include Sir John Layman (1531-1616), an English merchant and Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Another prominent figure was Thomas Layman (1677-1765), an English mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics.

In the realm of literature, John Layman (1803-1877) was an American poet and author, known for his works depicting rural life in the 19th century. More recently, John Layman (born 1976) is a contemporary American comic book writer and creator, best known for his work on titles like "Chew" and "Outer Darkness."

Other notable individuals with the LAYMAN surname include Richard Layman (1647-1706), an English clergyman and author of religious texts, and Joseph Layman (1835-1918), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Virginia.

It is worth noting that while the LAYMAN surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Layman

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Layman.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Layman was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Layman has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Layman was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Layman, please contact us.

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