2000
#32,094
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 678
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.25
Very Rare Last name
Loader
An occupational surname referring to one who loaded carts, ships, or other conveyances.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 799 Americans carry the last name Loader. That puts it at #34,899 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.23 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 428,979 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loader 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 Loader with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
799
1 in 428,979
Census rank
#34,899
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
697
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 697 bearers of the surname Loader in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.23 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 34899th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loader, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loader
The surname Loader is of Anglo-Saxon origin, and it is an occupational name that originally referred to someone who loaded goods onto boats, carts, or other modes of transportation. The name can be traced back to the 13th century in England, specifically in areas such as Norfolk and Suffolk.
The name is derived from the Old English word "hladan," which means "to load." It is closely related to the Old English word "hlaedere," meaning "one who loads." Over time, the spelling of the name evolved from "Lader" to "Loader."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Loader can be found in the Hundred Rolls of Norfolk, a historical record of landowners and their properties compiled in 1273. The name is also mentioned in the Subsidy Rolls of Suffolk from 1327.
In the 14th century, the name Loader appeared in various documents, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire (1379) and the Poll Tax Returns of Cambridgeshire (1381). These records provide valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of the name during that period.
One notable individual bearing the surname Loader was William Loader, who was born in Norfolk around 1520. He was a prominent merchant and landowner in the 16th century, and his name appears in various legal documents and land transactions from that time.
Another historically significant figure was John Loader, born in Essex in 1632. He was a Puritan minister and author, known for his religious writings and sermons. His works were widely circulated in the 17th century and contributed to the spread of Puritan teachings.
In the 18th century, Samuel Loader (1720-1795) was a respected English potter from Staffordshire. He was renowned for his innovative techniques and contributions to the local pottery industry. His works are now highly valued by collectors and historians.
In the 19th century, Thomas Loader (1809-1885) from Gloucestershire made a name for himself as a pioneering architect. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings, including churches and schools, throughout the region.
Another notable figure from the same century was Emily Loader (1837-1920), a British author and educator. She wrote several books on literature and education, and her works were widely used in schools during her lifetime.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loader
Among Census respondents with the surname Loader, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Loader 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 Loader surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 616
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 38
- Two or more races4.6% · 32
- Black or African American0.7% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loader
Loader 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
#36,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 617
-61 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 4,192 places
2020
#34,899
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 697
+80 bearers (+13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.23
Rank movement Up 1,387 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #32,094 | 678 | 0.25 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,286 | 617 | 0.21 | -61 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 4,192 places |
| 2020 | #34,899 | 697 | 0.23 | +80 bearers (+13.0%) | Up 1,387 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 Loader 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 | #36,286 | #34,899 | 3.8% |
| Count | 617 | 697 | 13.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.23 | 11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loader bearers went from 617 to 697 (+13.0% change). The surname moved up 1,387 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,286 to #34,899.
FAQ
Loader surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loader?
Name Census estimates that about 799 living Americans carry the surname Loader. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 428,979 residents.
How common is Loader?
Loader ranks #34,899 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.23 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 697 people with the surname Loader. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (799), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.23 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.23 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 Loader.
Has Loader become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loader went from 617 recorded bearers to 697. That is an increase of 80 (+13.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #36,286 to #34,899.
What does the Census say about the background of Loader?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loader, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Loader in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (616 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loader appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Hispanic (5.5%), Two or More Races (4.6%). 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 Loader (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 Loader mean?
An occupational surname referring to one who loaded carts, ships, or other conveyances. 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 Loader (0.23 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 have the last name Loader?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Loader is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.