2010
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Learson
A variant form of the surname Larson, derived from Lars, the Scandinavian form of Laurence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Learson. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Learson 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.
Bearers in the US
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Learson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Learson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.0%. The next largest groups are White (28.0%) and Two or More Races (10.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Learson
The surname LEARSON is of English origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the counties of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire, where it was derived from the Old English term "leornere," meaning "learner" or "student." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals involved in the pursuit of knowledge or education.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LEARSON can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Lincolnshire, a compilation of records from the late 13th century. These rolls list a "Willelmus le Lernere" in the village of Hykham, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time period.
In the 14th century, the surname appears to have evolved into various spellings, such as "Lernour," "Lernere," and "Lerner," before eventually settling on the modern form of "LEARSON." This evolution likely reflects the transition from Old English to Middle English, as well as regional variations in pronunciation and spelling.
Notable historical figures bearing the LEARSON surname include John LEARSON (c. 1550-1625), a prominent English merchant and Member of Parliament during the reign of King James I. Another individual of note was William LEARSON (1675-1744), a respected theologian and author who served as the vicar of Waltham Abbey in Essex.
In the 17th century, records show a LEARSON family residing in the village of Epworth, Lincolnshire. This family produced two significant figures: Samuel LEARSON (1628-1704), a renowned Puritan preacher, and his son, John LEARSON (1673-1737), who became a celebrated Anglican priest and author.
During the 18th century, the LEARSON name gained prominence in the literary world with the birth of Robert LEARSON (1714-1784), a Scottish poet and essayist known for his satirical works and contributions to the Edinburgh periodical The Mirror.
While the LEARSON surname has its roots in England, it has since spread to various parts of the world, including North America, Australia, and other English-speaking regions, due to migration and historical events such as the colonization of the Americas and the expansion of the British Empire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Learson
Among Census respondents with the surname Learson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.0%. The next largest groups are White (28.0%) and Two or More Races (10.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Learson 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 Learson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American58.0% · 58
- White28.0% · 28
- Two or more races10.0% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Learson
Learson appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-8 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,150 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 4,150 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 Learson 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 | #151,532 | #155,682 | -2.7% |
| Count | 108 | 100 | -7.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -16.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Learson bearers went from 108 to 100 (-7.4% change). The surname moved down 4,150 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #155,682.
FAQ
Learson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Learson?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Learson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Learson?
Learson ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Learson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Learson.
Has Learson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Learson went from 108 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Learson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Learson, the largest self-reported group is Black at 58.0%. The next largest groups are White (28.0%) and Two or More Races (10.0%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Learson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 58.0% (58 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Learson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (58.0%), White (28.0%), Two or More Races (10.0%). 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 Learson (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 Learson mean?
A variant form of the surname Larson, derived from Lars, the Scandinavian form of Laurence. 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 Learson (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Learson?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.