2000
#9,774
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,053
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Livermore
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a large pond or by a watercourse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,395 Americans carry the last name Livermore. That puts it at #10,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 100,959 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Livermore 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 Livermore with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.4K
1 in 100,959
Census rank
#10,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,961 bearers of the surname Livermore in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Livermore, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Livermore
The surname Livermore is of English origin, deriving from the town of Livermere in Suffolk, England. The name is believed to have originated in the 11th century, likely referring to a resident or landowner from that area.
The earliest known record of the surname Livermore appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Liuremere". This ancient text, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landholdings and property across England.
Over time, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Lyvermere, Lyvermer, and Lyvermore appearing in various historical documents and records. These variations reflect the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation and spelling during the Middle Ages.
One of the earliest known bearers of the surname was Sir John Livermore, a prominent English nobleman who lived in the 13th century. He served as a knight and fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence under King Edward I.
Another notable figure was Sir Walter Livermore, born in 1482, who was a member of the English gentry and served as a courtier to King Henry VIII. He was known for his loyalty and service to the crown during the Tudor period.
In the 17th century, a notable bearer of the surname was Robert Livermore, born in 1608, who emigrated from England to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1634. He became a prominent figure in the early days of New England and was one of the founders of the town of Weston, Massachusetts.
During the American Revolutionary War, Samuel Livermore, born in 1732, was a prominent figure and served as a member of the Continental Congress and as a United States Senator from New Hampshire. He played a crucial role in the early years of the United States government.
Another significant figure was Mary Livermore, born in 1820, who was a pioneering American journalist, advocate for women's rights, and an influential figure in the temperance movement. She was a prolific writer and public speaker, and her work helped shape the social and political landscape of the 19th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Livermore
Among Census respondents with the surname Livermore, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Livermore 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 Livermore surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.7% · 2,537
- Two or more races4.6% · 137
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 124
- Black or African American3.7% · 111
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 24
Timeline
Historical Census data for Livermore
Livermore 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
#10,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,149
+96 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.07
Rank movement Down 460 places
2020
#10,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,961
-188 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 105 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,774 | 3,053 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,234 | 3,149 | 1.07 | +96 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 460 places |
| 2020 | #10,339 | 2,961 | 0.99 | -188 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 105 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 Livermore 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 | #10,234 | #10,339 | -1.0% |
| Count | 3,149 | 2,961 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.07 | 0.99 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Livermore bearers went from 3,149 to 2,961 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 105 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,234 to #10,339.
FAQ
Livermore surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Livermore?
Name Census estimates that about 3,395 living Americans carry the surname Livermore. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 100,959 residents.
How common is Livermore?
Livermore ranks #10,339 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.99 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,961 people with the surname Livermore. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,395), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.99 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.99 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Livermore.
Has Livermore become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Livermore went from 3,149 recorded bearers to 2,961. That is a decrease of 188 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,234 to #10,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Livermore?
Among Census respondents with the surname Livermore, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Livermore in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.7% (2,537 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Livermore appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.7%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Livermore (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 Livermore mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a large pond or by a watercourse. 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 Livermore (0.99 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 Livermore?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Livermore? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.