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

Livingston, 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 Livingston surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Livingston in America

Livingston is the 821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Livingston surname appeared 42,103 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 14 people would have the surname Livingston.

We can also compare 2010 data for Livingston 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 Livingston

The surname Livingston has its origins in Scotland and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is a territorial name derived from the lands of Livingston near Bathgate in West Lothian. The name is believed to be derived from the Old English words "leofing" meaning "dear one" and "tun" meaning "farm" or "enclosure."

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Livingston can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of parchment rolls recording the names of Scottish landowners who swore allegiance to King Edward I of England. The name appears as "Lefyngeston" in these rolls.

In the 14th century, Sir Robert Livingston was granted the lands of Livingston by King Robert the Bruce. This early member of the Livingston family played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence. Sir Alexander Livingston, born around 1454, was another notable figure from this lineage and served as the Lord Chamberlain of Scotland.

The Livingston family continued to hold influence and prominence throughout Scottish history. James Livingston, born in 1561, was a Scottish nobleman and statesman who served as the Lord Chancellor of Scotland during the reign of King James VI. William Livingston, born in 1723, was a prominent American politician and jurist, serving as the first Governor of New Jersey after the American Revolutionary War.

Another famous bearer of the Livingston name was Edward Livingston, born in 1764, who was an American jurist and statesman. He served as the United States Secretary of State under President Andrew Jackson and played a crucial role in the drafting of the Louisiana Civil Code.

Robert R. Livingston, born in 1746, was an American diplomat and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence and later served as the first United States Minister to France.

Over the centuries, the Livingston name has also been associated with various place names, such as Livingston County in New York and Livingston Parish in Louisiana, reflecting the influence and legacy of this prominent family.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Livingston

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

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 Livingston 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 Livingston 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 Livingston was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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