2000
#83,004
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 211
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Lidge
A variant spelling of the English surname Ridge, derived from a topographic name for someone living near a ridge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 227 Americans carry the last name Lidge. That puts it at #98,131 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,509,931 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lidge 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
227
1 in 1,509,931
Census rank
#98,131
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
198
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 198 bearers of the surname Lidge in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 98131st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidge, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (11.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lidge
The surname Lidge is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest recorded usage dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hlidgat," which means "swing gate" or "gate in a fence." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a gate or worked as a gatekeeper.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a John atte Lidge residing in Oxfordshire. The use of the preposition "atte" before the surname indicates that it was likely a descriptive name at that time, referring to a specific location or occupation.
In the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Lydge, Lygge, and Lidge, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling practices of the time. The name was particularly prevalent in the counties of Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Somerset.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lidge surname gained recognition through several notable individuals. One example is John Lidge (c. 1540-1616), an English churchman who served as the Bishop of Chichester from 1605 until his death. Another noteworthy figure was William Lidge (1590-1663), a prominent merchant and member of the Society of Merchant Venturers in Bristol.
In the 18th century, the Lidge family had a strong presence in the village of Tetbury, Gloucestershire. One of the most notable members from this period was Thomas Lidge (1716-1793), a successful wool merchant and philanthropist who contributed greatly to the development of the village.
Throughout the 19th century, several individuals with the Lidge surname made their mark in various fields. For instance, John Lidge (1801-1876) was a renowned English architect responsible for designing several notable buildings, including the Carrington Hotel in London. Another prominent figure was Mary Lidge (1840-1923), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in the city of Bristol.
As the name spread across England and later to other parts of the world, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Lidgey, Lidgitt, and Ligge. However, the core meaning and origin of the surname remained rooted in its connection to gates or fences, reflecting the occupational and locational origins of many English surnames.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lidge
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidge, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (11.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lidge 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 Lidge surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American80.8% · 160
- White11.6% · 23
- Two or more races5.1% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lidge
Lidge 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
#98,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 183
-28 bearers (-13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 15,978 places
2020
#98,131
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 198
+15 bearers (+8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 851 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #83,004 | 211 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,982 | 183 | 0.06 | -28 bearers (-13.3%) | Down 15,978 places |
| 2020 | #98,131 | 198 | 0.07 | +15 bearers (+8.2%) | Up 851 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 Lidge 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 | #98,982 | #98,131 | 0.9% |
| Count | 183 | 198 | 8.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lidge bearers went from 183 to 198 (+8.2% change). The surname moved up 851 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,982 to #98,131.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lidge
FAQ
Lidge surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lidge?
Name Census estimates that about 227 living Americans carry the surname Lidge. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,509,931 residents.
How common is Lidge?
Lidge ranks #98,131 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 198 people with the surname Lidge. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (227), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Lidge.
Has Lidge become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lidge went from 183 recorded bearers to 198. That is an increase of 15 (+8.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #98,982 to #98,131.
What does the Census say about the background of Lidge?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidge, the largest self-reported group is Black at 80.8%. The next largest groups are White (11.6%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Lidge in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.8% (160 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lidge appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (80.8%), White (11.6%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Lidge (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 Lidge mean?
A variant spelling of the English surname Ridge, derived from a topographic name for someone living near a ridge. 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 Lidge (0.07 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 common is the surname Lidge?
Find out how common the surname Lidge is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.