2000
#42,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 485
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Lithgow
A surname of Scottish origin meaning "hollow" or "valley" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 650 Americans carry the last name Lithgow. That puts it at #41,393 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 527,314 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lithgow 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 Lithgow with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
650
1 in 527,314
Census rank
#41,393
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
567
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 567 bearers of the surname Lithgow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 41393rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lithgow, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lithgow
The surname "Lithgow" originated in Scotland, likely in the mid-12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "hlið" meaning "hill" and "hoh" meaning "ridge," suggesting the name originally referred to someone who lived near a hill or ridge.
The earliest known record of the name dates back to 1153, when it appeared as "de Lythcuu" in the Ragman Rolls, a collection of homage rolls from Scotland. The name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, recorded as "Lidchoh" and referring to a settlement in Worcestershire, England.
In the 13th century, the name was spelled various ways, including "Lythgowe," "Lythgow," and "Lythcow." It is believed to be associated with the town of Linlithgow in West Lothian, Scotland, which was once known as "Lithgow."
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname was Sir James Lithgow (1538-1608), a Scottish landowner and member of the Scottish Parliament. Another prominent figure was William Lithgow (1582-1645), a Scottish traveler and writer who published several books about his adventures in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
In the 18th century, James Lithgow (1704-1774) was a Scottish merchant and landowner who played a role in the Scottish Enlightenment. His son, William Lithgow (1737-1814), was a successful businessman and philanthropist in Glasgow.
In the 19th century, Robert Lithgow (1803-1870) was a Scottish shipbuilder and industrialist who founded the Lithgow Shipbuilding Company in Port Glasgow. His son, James Lithgow (1838-1922), later took over the family business and expanded it into one of the largest shipbuilding firms in the world.
Another notable figure was Sir Douglas Lithgow (1862-1952), a Scottish engineer and industrialist who founded the Lithgow Locomotive Works in Lanarkshire. He played a significant role in developing the Scottish railway industry.
Lithgow has remained a prominent surname in Scotland and other parts of the United Kingdom, as well as in countries with Scottish heritage, such as Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lithgow
Among Census respondents with the surname Lithgow, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lithgow 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 Lithgow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White67.9% · 385
- Hispanic or Latino26.6% · 151
- Two or more races3.4% · 19
- Black or African American1.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lithgow
Lithgow 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
#40,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 541
+56 bearers (+11.5%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Up 1,702 places
2020
#41,393
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 567
+26 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 961 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,134 | 485 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #40,432 | 541 | 0.18 | +56 bearers (+11.5%) | Up 1,702 places |
| 2020 | #41,393 | 567 | 0.19 | +26 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 961 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 Lithgow 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 | #40,432 | #41,393 | -2.4% |
| Count | 541 | 567 | 4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.18 | 0.19 | 5.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lithgow bearers went from 541 to 567 (+4.8% change). The surname moved down 961 positions in the national ranking, going from #40,432 to #41,393.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lithgow
FAQ
Lithgow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lithgow?
Name Census estimates that about 650 living Americans carry the surname Lithgow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 527,314 residents.
How common is Lithgow?
Lithgow ranks #41,393 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 567 people with the surname Lithgow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (650), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Lithgow.
Has Lithgow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lithgow went from 541 recorded bearers to 567. That is an increase of 26 (+4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #40,432 to #41,393.
What does the Census say about the background of Lithgow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lithgow, the largest self-reported group is White at 67.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (26.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Lithgow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 67.9% (385 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lithgow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (67.9%), Hispanic (26.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Lithgow (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 Lithgow mean?
A surname of Scottish origin meaning "hollow" or "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 Lithgow (0.19 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 Americans have the surname Lithgow?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.