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

Layton, 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 Layton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Layton in America

Layton is the 1836th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Layton surname appeared 19,504 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Layton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Layton 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 Layton

The surname Layton is of English origin and can be traced back to the medieval era. It is a habitation surname, derived from the Old English words 'leasowe' meaning meadow or pasture and 'tun' meaning enclosure or settlement. This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name likely hailed from a place called Layton, meaning the settlement by the meadow.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as 'Laitone'. This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, recorded landholdings across England and serves as a valuable resource for tracing the origins of surnames.

The name Layton can also be found in various medieval records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from the 12th century, where it is spelled 'Laiton'. These rolls were financial accounts kept by the Exchequer and provide insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames during that period.

One notable figure bearing the name Layton was Sir William Layton (c. 1460-1518), a courtier and diplomat during the reigns of Henry VII and Henry VIII. He served as the Governor of Guernsey and played a crucial role in negotiating the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.

Another prominent individual was Richard Layton (c. 1500-1544), an English clergyman and visitor during the Dissolution of the Monasteries under Henry VIII. He was instrumental in suppressing religious houses and confiscating their assets for the Crown.

In the 17th century, Thomas Layton (1630-1706) was an English clergyman and non-juror who refused to swear allegiance to William III and Mary II after the Glorious Revolution of 1688.

The name Layton can also be traced to various place names in England, such as Layton in Lancashire, Layton in Yorkshire, and Layton in Northamptonshire. These locations likely derived their names from the Old English words mentioned earlier, further reinforcing the connection between the surname and its geographical origins.

Finally, John Layton (1749-1809) was a notable English naturalist and writer who published works on ornithology and natural history, contributing to the growing interest in these fields during the 18th century.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Layton

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

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 Layton 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 Layton 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 Layton was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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