2000
#5,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,879
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.18
Rare Last name
Ligon
French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "the linden tree" or "near the linden tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,549 Americans carry the last name Ligon. That puts it at #5,834 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 52,337 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ligon 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
6.5K
1 in 52,337
Census rank
#5,834
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,711 bearers of the surname Ligon in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5834th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ligon, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ligon
The surname Ligon is believed to have originated in France, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 11th century. It is thought to have derived from the Old French word "lignon," meaning a small branch or twig. This suggests that the name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone who lived near a wooded area or worked with wood.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the Ligon name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry lists a Radulfus de Lignon as a landowner in Oxfordshire.
In the 13th century, there are records of a knight named Sir Robert de Ligon who fought in the Crusades and later settled in Normandy, France. His descendants are believed to have adopted the surname Ligon.
During the Middle Ages, variations of the name included Lignon, Lignoun, and Linioun, reflecting the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Ligon name was Sir William Ligon (1512-1587), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another prominent individual was John Ligon (1615-1672), an English merchant and author who wrote a book titled "A True and Exact History of the Island of Barbados," which provided valuable insights into the early colonial settlement of the Caribbean.
In the 18th century, Richard Ligon (1730-1809) was a wealthy plantation owner and slaveholder in Virginia, United States. His descendants played a significant role in the economic and political development of the region.
Jumping forward to the 19th century, Mary Ligon (1823-1901) was a notable American educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools and worked tirelessly to promote educational opportunities for women.
Throughout history, the Ligon surname has been connected to various locations, including Oxfordshire and Normandy in England and France, respectively, as well as Virginia and other parts of the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ligon
Among Census respondents with the surname Ligon, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ligon 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 Ligon surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White52.7% · 3,010
- Black or African American36.4% · 2,077
- Two or more races4.7% · 271
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 175
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.4% · 139
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 39
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ligon
Ligon 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
#5,654
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,140
+261 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Down 208 places
2020
#5,834
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,711
-429 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 1.91
Rank movement Down 180 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,446 | 5,879 | 2.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,654 | 6,140 | 2.08 | +261 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 208 places |
| 2020 | #5,834 | 5,711 | 1.91 | -429 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 180 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 Ligon 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 | #5,654 | #5,834 | -3.2% |
| Count | 6,140 | 5,711 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 2.08 | 1.91 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ligon bearers went from 6,140 to 5,711 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 180 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,654 to #5,834.
FAQ
Ligon surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ligon?
Name Census estimates that about 6,549 living Americans carry the surname Ligon. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 52,337 residents.
How common is Ligon?
Ligon ranks #5,834 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.91 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,711 people with the surname Ligon. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,549), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.91 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.91 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Ligon.
Has Ligon become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ligon went from 6,140 recorded bearers to 5,711. That is a decrease of 429 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,654 to #5,834.
What does the Census say about the background of Ligon?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ligon, the largest self-reported group is White at 52.7%. The next largest groups are Black (36.4%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Ligon in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.7% (3,010 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ligon appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (52.7%), Black (36.4%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Ligon (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 Ligon mean?
French habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "the linden tree" or "near the linden tree." 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 Ligon (1.91 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 Ligon?
You can see how common the surname Ligon is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.