2000
#11,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,427
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Livingstone
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a boundary stone or near a stone with a hollow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,981 Americans carry the last name Livingstone. That puts it at #11,567 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,980 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Livingstone 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 Livingstone with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.0K
1 in 114,980
Census rank
#11,567
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,600 bearers of the surname Livingstone in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11567th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Livingstone, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (5.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Livingstone
The surname Livingstone is of Scottish origin, derived from the ancient lands of Livingston near Linlithgow, West Lothian. The name is believed to have originated in the 12th century, with the earliest recorded spelling being "de Lynlythcu" in the Ragman Rolls of 1296.
The name Livingstone is thought to be derived from the Old English words "lēaf" meaning "leaf" and "tūn" meaning "settlement" or "farmstead". This suggests that the original bearers of the name may have lived in a settlement surrounded by leafy trees or woodlands.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Livingstone appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Levingestune". This entry refers to a place in Somerset, England, which may have been named after an early bearer of the surname.
In the 13th century, Sir Alexander de Livingston was granted lands in West Lothian, Scotland, by King Alexander III. Sir Alexander's descendants continued to hold these lands for several centuries, and the name Livingstone became firmly established in the region.
Notable historical figures with the surname Livingstone include:
1. David Livingstone (1813-1873), a Scottish missionary and explorer famous for his exploration of central Africa and his search for the source of the Nile.
2. Robert Livingston (1654-1728), an American politician and landowner who was the first Lord of Livingston Manor in New York.
3. William Livingston (1723-1790), an American patriot and politician who served as the first Governor of New Jersey.
4. Richard Livingstone (1880-1960), an English classical scholar and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
5. Alicia Livingstone (born 1988), a New Zealand actress known for her roles in television series such as "Spartacus" and "Top of the Lake".
The name Livingstone has also been associated with various place names throughout history, including Livingston in West Lothian, Scotland, and Livingston Manor in New York, USA.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Livingstone
Among Census respondents with the surname Livingstone, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (5.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Livingstone 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 Livingstone surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White72.8% · 1,893
- Black or African American16.0% · 416
- Hispanic or Latino5.3% · 137
- Two or more races4.2% · 109
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 44
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Livingstone
Livingstone 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
#12,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,539
+112 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.86
Rank movement Down 427 places
2020
#11,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,600
+61 bearers (+2.4%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 683 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,823 | 2,427 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,250 | 2,539 | 0.86 | +112 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 427 places |
| 2020 | #11,567 | 2,600 | 0.87 | +61 bearers (+2.4%) | Up 683 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 Livingstone 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 | #12,250 | #11,567 | 5.6% |
| Count | 2,539 | 2,600 | 2.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.86 | 0.87 | 1.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Livingstone bearers went from 2,539 to 2,600 (+2.4% change). The surname moved up 683 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,250 to #11,567.
FAQ
Livingstone surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Livingstone?
Name Census estimates that about 2,981 living Americans carry the surname Livingstone. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,980 residents.
How common is Livingstone?
Livingstone ranks #11,567 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 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 2,600 people with the surname Livingstone. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,981), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 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 Livingstone.
Has Livingstone become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Livingstone went from 2,539 recorded bearers to 2,600. That is an increase of 61 (+2.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,250 to #11,567.
What does the Census say about the background of Livingstone?
Among Census respondents with the surname Livingstone, the largest self-reported group is White at 72.8%. The next largest groups are Black (16.0%) and Hispanic (5.3%). 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 Livingstone in the 2020 Census, accounting for 72.8% (1,893 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Livingstone appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (72.8%), Black (16.0%), Hispanic (5.3%). 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 Livingstone (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 Livingstone mean?
A locational surname referring to someone who lived near a boundary stone or near a stone with a hollow. 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 Livingstone (0.87 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 share the surname Livingstone?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.