2000
#20,800
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,180
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Lighty
A locational surname derived from a place with a bright or shining appearance.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,373 Americans carry the last name Lighty. That puts it at #22,107 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.40 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 249,639 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lighty 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
1.4K
1 in 249,639
Census rank
#22,107
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,197 bearers of the surname Lighty in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.40 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22107th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lighty, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.1%. The next largest groups are White (45.4%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lighty
The surname Lighty has its origins in the Anglo-Saxon regions of England, dating back to the 6th century CE. It is derived from the Old English word "leoht," which means "light" or "bright." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with fair hair or a bright complexion.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Lighty appeared in various records and manuscripts. One of the earliest known references is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Lechtei" in the county of Lincolnshire. This indicates that the name was already well-established in certain parts of England by the 11th century.
Over time, the name evolved and was spelled differently in various regions. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Lyte, Lyghte, and Lyght. These variations reflect the regional dialects and the lack of standardized spelling during that era.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Lighty was William Lyght, who lived in Yorkshire, England, in the 13th century. Another notable figure was John Lighty, a merchant from London who was mentioned in tax records from the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Lighty surname was found in various parts of England, including the counties of Suffolk, Kent, and Somerset. During this period, the name was also associated with several place names, such as Lighthorn in Somerset and Lightwood in Staffordshire.
Among the more prominent individuals with the Lighty surname was Sir Robert Lighty (c. 1550-1623), a prominent lawyer and judge who served as the Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King James I.
Another notable figure was Thomas Lighty (1688-1766), a renowned English poet and playwright who was born in Salisbury. His works included several plays and a collection of poems titled "The Courtship of the Muse."
In the 18th century, the Lighty surname gained prominence in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Moray. One of the most famous individuals with this name was Sir James Lighty (1725-1803), a Scottish landowner and member of Parliament who played a significant role in the agricultural reforms of his time.
Throughout its history, the surname Lighty has been associated with various professions and social classes, ranging from farmers and merchants to lawyers and nobles. Its origins as a descriptive nickname and its evolution over the centuries have contributed to its enduring presence in various parts of the British Isles.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lighty
Among Census respondents with the surname Lighty, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.1%. The next largest groups are White (45.4%) and Hispanic (4.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lighty 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 Lighty surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.1% · 564
- White45.4% · 543
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 54
- Two or more races2.8% · 34
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.1% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lighty
Lighty 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
#19,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,354
+174 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Up 948 places
2020
#22,107
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,197
-157 bearers (-11.6%)
Per 100,000 0.40
Rank movement Down 2,255 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,800 | 1,180 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,852 | 1,354 | 0.46 | +174 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 948 places |
| 2020 | #22,107 | 1,197 | 0.40 | -157 bearers (-11.6%) | Down 2,255 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 Lighty 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 | #19,852 | #22,107 | -11.4% |
| Count | 1,354 | 1,197 | -11.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.46 | 0.40 | -12.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lighty bearers went from 1,354 to 1,197 (-11.6% change). The surname moved down 2,255 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,852 to #22,107.
FAQ
Lighty surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lighty?
Name Census estimates that about 1,373 living Americans carry the surname Lighty. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 249,639 residents.
How common is Lighty?
Lighty ranks #22,107 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.40 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 1,197 people with the surname Lighty. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,373), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.4 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.40 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 Lighty.
Has Lighty become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lighty went from 1,354 recorded bearers to 1,197. That is a decrease of 157 (-11.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,852 to #22,107.
What does the Census say about the background of Lighty?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lighty, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.1%. The next largest groups are White (45.4%) and Hispanic (4.5%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lighty in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.1% (564 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lighty appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (47.1%), White (45.4%), Hispanic (4.5%). 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 Lighty (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 Lighty mean?
A locational surname derived from a place with a bright or shining appearance. 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 Lighty (0.40 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 Lighty?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Lighty, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.