Find out how popular the last name Lipscomb is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lipscomb.

Lipscomb, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lipscomb surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lipscomb in America

Lipscomb is the 2788th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lipscomb surname appeared 12,948 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Lipscomb.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lipscomb to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lipscomb

The surname Lipscomb is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English words "lið," meaning "joint" or "limb," and "cumb," meaning "valley" or "hollow." This suggests that the name may have been initially used to describe someone who lived in a valley or hollow region.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lipscomb can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lypescombe." This entry refers to a place name, possibly indicating the origin of the surname from a specific location.

During the 13th century, the name was commonly spelled as "Lypescombe" or "Lypscombe," reflecting the evolution of the English language over time. Records from this period also show variations such as "Lipescombe" and "Lipscomp," further demonstrating the fluidity of surname spellings in those times.

In the 14th century, the name Lipscomb began to appear more frequently in historical records, particularly in the counties of Devon and Somerset in southern England. This region was likely the epicenter of the surname's early development and usage.

One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Lipscomb, who lived in the late 15th century and served as a member of the English Parliament. Another influential figure was William Lipscomb, born in 1619, who was a prominent English clergyman and author.

In the 17th century, the surname Lipscomb gained recognition through the works of the English philosopher and scientist Robert Lipscomb, born in 1634. He made significant contributions to the fields of mathematics and natural philosophy.

As the surname spread across England and eventually to other parts of the world, various spellings emerged, including "Lipscombe," "Lipscome," and "Lipscum." However, the modern spelling of "Lipscomb" became the most widely accepted form.

Other notable individuals with the surname Lipscomb include the American chemist William Nunn Lipscomb Jr. (1919-2011), who received the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1976, and the English cricketer James Lipscomb (1828-1902), who played for the Surrey County Cricket Club.

Throughout its history, the surname Lipscomb has maintained its connection to its geographical origins, reflecting the significance of place names in the development of English surnames during the medieval period.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lipscomb

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lipscomb.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lipscomb was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lipscomb has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lipscomb was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lipscomb, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!