2000
#83,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 208
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Lidgett
Locative surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "ridge gate" or "lid gate".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 261 Americans carry the last name Lidgett. That puts it at #87,624 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,313,235 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lidgett 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 Lidgett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
261
1 in 1,313,235
Census rank
#87,624
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
228
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 228 bearers of the surname Lidgett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 87624th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lidgett
The surname Lidgett is believed to have originated in England, with records dating back to the 13th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hlidgat," which means "swing gate." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near or worked at a swing gate, perhaps as a gatekeeper or toll collector.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lidgett surname can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire in 1297, which lists a John de Lidgate. The name is also mentioned in the Feet of Fines of Yorkshire in 1347, where it appears as "Lidgate." These early variations in spelling were common during that time period.
The Lidgett name has been associated with various locations in Yorkshire, including the village of Lidget Green, which may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time. Other place names that may have contributed to the evolution of the surname include Lidgate Hill in Ripon and Lidgate Farm in Wakefield.
In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Lidgett surname was William Lidgett (c. 1530-1589), an English clergyman who served as the Dean of St. Paul's Cathedral in London. Another early Lidgett of note was John Lidgett (1598-1668), a lawyer and member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Lidgett family maintained a presence in Yorkshire and surrounding areas. One prominent Lidgett was Samuel Lidgett (1745-1818), a successful merchant and landowner in Wakefield. His son, John Lidgett (1783-1856), was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the Church of St. Mary the Virgin in Wakefield.
In the 19th century, the Lidgett name gained further recognition with individuals such as Joseph Lidgett (1829-1901), a Methodist minister and author who served as the President of the Wesleyan Methodist Conference. Another notable figure was John Scott Lidgett (1854-1953), a theologian and the founder of the Bermondsey Settlement, a social welfare organization in London.
Throughout history, the Lidgett surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, from clergymen and lawyers to merchants and architects. While the name has undergone variations in spelling over the centuries, its origins can be traced back to the Old English word "hlidgat," reflecting the family's potential historical ties to gatekeepers or toll collectors in Yorkshire.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lidgett
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lidgett 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 Lidgett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 210
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 8
- Two or more races3.5% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lidgett
Lidgett 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
#109,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 161
-47 bearers (-22.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 25,793 places
2020
#87,624
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 228
+67 bearers (+41.6%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 22,134 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #83,965 | 208 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #109,758 | 161 | 0.05 | -47 bearers (-22.6%) | Down 25,793 places |
| 2020 | #87,624 | 228 | 0.08 | +67 bearers (+41.6%) | Up 22,134 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 Lidgett 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 | #109,758 | #87,624 | 20.2% |
| Count | 161 | 228 | 41.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.08 | 52.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lidgett bearers went from 161 to 228 (+41.6% change). The surname moved up 22,134 positions in the national ranking, going from #109,758 to #87,624.
FAQ
Lidgett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lidgett?
Name Census estimates that about 261 living Americans carry the surname Lidgett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,313,235 residents.
How common is Lidgett?
Lidgett ranks #87,624 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 228 people with the surname Lidgett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (261), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Lidgett.
Has Lidgett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lidgett went from 161 recorded bearers to 228. That is an increase of 67 (+41.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #109,758 to #87,624.
What does the Census say about the background of Lidgett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lidgett, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Lidgett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (210 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lidgett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Lidgett (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 Lidgett mean?
Locative surname derived from a place name, possibly meaning "ridge gate" or "lid gate". 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 Lidgett (0.08 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 Lidgett?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Lidgett is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.