2000
#2,597
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,775
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.74
Uncommon Last name
Lipscomb
An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "Hlipa's valley" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,011 Americans carry the last name Lipscomb. That puts it at #2,874 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,463 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lipscomb 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 Lipscomb with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 24,463
Census rank
#2,874
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,218 bearers of the surname Lipscomb in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2874th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipscomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.4%. The next largest groups are Black (37.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lipscomb
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipscomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.4%. The next largest groups are Black (37.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lipscomb 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 Lipscomb surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White54.4% · 6,642
- Black or African American37.3% · 4,558
- Two or more races4.8% · 589
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 304
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 70
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 55
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lipscomb
Lipscomb 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
#2,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,948
+173 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 4.39
Rank movement Down 191 places
2020
#2,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,218
-730 bearers (-5.6%)
Per 100,000 4.09
Rank movement Down 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,597 | 12,775 | 4.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,788 | 12,948 | 4.39 | +173 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 191 places |
| 2020 | #2,874 | 12,218 | 4.09 | -730 bearers (-5.6%) | Down 86 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 Lipscomb 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 | #2,788 | #2,874 | -3.1% |
| Count | 12,948 | 12,218 | -5.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.39 | 4.09 | -6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lipscomb bearers went from 12,948 to 12,218 (-5.6% change). The surname moved down 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,788 to #2,874.
FAQ
Lipscomb surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lipscomb?
Name Census estimates that about 14,011 living Americans carry the surname Lipscomb. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,463 residents.
How common is Lipscomb?
Lipscomb ranks #2,874 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,218 people with the surname Lipscomb. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,011), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Lipscomb.
Has Lipscomb become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lipscomb went from 12,948 recorded bearers to 12,218. That is a decrease of 730 (-5.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,788 to #2,874.
What does the Census say about the background of Lipscomb?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipscomb, the largest self-reported group is White at 54.4%. The next largest groups are Black (37.3%) and Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Lipscomb in the 2020 Census, accounting for 54.4% (6,642 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lipscomb appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (54.4%), Black (37.3%), Two or More Races (4.8%). 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 Lipscomb (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 Lipscomb mean?
An English locational surname derived from a place meaning "Hlipa's valley" in Old English. 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 Lipscomb (4.09 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 are called Lipscomb?
Find out how common the surname Lipscomb is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.