2000
#75,466
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 238
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Linklater
A Scottish habitational surname indicating someone from Linlithgow or East Lothian.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 268 Americans carry the last name Linklater. That puts it at #85,854 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,278,934 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Linklater 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 Linklater with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
268
1 in 1,278,934
Census rank
#85,854
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
234
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 234 bearers of the surname Linklater in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 85854th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Linklater, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Linklater
The surname Linklater is of Scottish origin, derived from the Old English words "linc" meaning a ridge or hill, and "latt" meaning a servant or retainer. It is likely that the name initially referred to someone who lived on or near a ridge or hill.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to the 13th century, with a Robert de Linclerech appearing in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a document recording those who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England during his invasion of Scotland. The name also appears in the 14th century as Linclater and Lincledoire.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror, there are no direct references to the surname Linklater, but there are several place names that may have influenced the development of the name, such as Lincroft in Lincolnshire and Linton in Cambridgeshire.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Robert Linklater, a Scottish merchant and burgess of Aberdeen in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Sir John Linklater of Linklater, who was knighted by King James VI of Scotland in the early 17th century.
Other notable Linklaters throughout history include:
1. Robert Linklater (1776-1846), a Scottish inventor and engineer who patented several innovations in steam engines and milling machinery.
2. Eric Linklater (1899-1974), a Scottish novelist and poet known for works such as "The Wind on the Moon" and "The Crusader."
3. Andro Linklater (1944-2013), a Scottish journalist and author who wrote extensively on military history and international affairs.
4. Kristin Linklater (born 1936), a Scottish-born theatre teacher and author who has influenced the teaching of voice and speech for actors.
5. Magnus Linklater (born 1942), a Scottish journalist and former editor of The Scotsman newspaper.
The name Linklater remains most prevalent in Scotland, particularly in the regions of Aberdeenshire and Angus, where many of the earliest recorded bearers of the name were based.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Linklater
Among Census respondents with the surname Linklater, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Linklater 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 Linklater surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 213
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 7
- Two or more races1.7% · 4
- Black or African American0.4% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Linklater
Linklater 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
#75,799
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 254
+16 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 333 places
2020
#85,854
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 234
-20 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 10,055 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #75,466 | 238 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #75,799 | 254 | 0.09 | +16 bearers (+6.7%) | Down 333 places |
| 2020 | #85,854 | 234 | 0.08 | -20 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 10,055 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 Linklater 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 | #75,799 | #85,854 | -13.3% |
| Count | 254 | 234 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.08 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Linklater bearers went from 254 to 234 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 10,055 positions in the national ranking, going from #75,799 to #85,854.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Linklater
FAQ
Linklater surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Linklater?
Name Census estimates that about 268 living Americans carry the surname Linklater. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,278,934 residents.
How common is Linklater?
Linklater ranks #85,854 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 234 people with the surname Linklater. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (268), 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 Linklater.
Has Linklater become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Linklater went from 254 recorded bearers to 234. That is a decrease of 20 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #75,799 to #85,854.
What does the Census say about the background of Linklater?
Among Census respondents with the surname Linklater, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Linklater in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (213 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Linklater appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Linklater (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 Linklater mean?
A Scottish habitational surname indicating someone from Linlithgow or East Lothian. 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 Linklater (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 surname Linklater?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.