2000
#11,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,516
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Lobdell
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "small stream" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,799 Americans carry the last name Lobdell. That puts it at #12,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 122,456 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lobdell 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.
Bearers in the US
2.8K
1 in 122,456
Census rank
#12,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,441 bearers of the surname Lobdell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lobdell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lobdell
The surname Lobdell is of English origin, originating in the county of Sussex. It is derived from the Old English words "lobbe" meaning a lump or clod, and "dell" meaning a small valley or hollow. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a small valley or hollow, or near a lump or clod of earth.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Lobdell can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Sussex from 1296, where a John Lobdell is listed. In the 14th century, the name appeared in various forms such as Lobdell, Lobdel, and Lobdill.
One notable early bearer of the name was William Lobdell, who served as a member of the Parliament of England during the reign of King Edward III in the mid-14th century.
In the 16th century, the name Lobdell appeared in the Muster Rolls of Sussex, which recorded individuals eligible for military service. This suggests that the Lobdell family had established itself as a notable presence in the region.
During the 17th century, the Lobdell name spread beyond Sussex, with records showing individuals bearing the name in other parts of England, such as London and Oxfordshire.
One of the earliest Lobdells to emigrate to the American colonies was Thomas Lobdell, who arrived in Massachusetts in the 1630s and settled in the town of Concord. His descendants went on to establish families throughout New England.
Another notable bearer of the Lobdell name was John Lobdell, a merchant and landowner in colonial Virginia during the late 17th century. He owned significant tracts of land in what is now Henrico County.
In the 18th century, the Lobdell family continued to flourish in both England and America. Edward Lobdell, born in 1712 in Essex, England, was a prominent merchant and member of the East India Company.
In the United States, Reverend Barzillai Lobdell, born in 1761 in Massachusetts, was a prominent Baptist minister and educator who helped establish several churches and schools in New England.
The 19th century saw the Lobdell name spread further across the United States, with individuals bearing the name settling in various parts of the country, including the Midwest and the West Coast.
Overall, the surname Lobdell has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the county of Sussex, England. While the name has evolved in spelling over time, it has maintained a strong presence throughout England and the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lobdell
Among Census respondents with the surname Lobdell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lobdell 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 Lobdell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 2,117
- Two or more races5.2% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 89
- Black or African American3.6% · 88
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lobdell
Lobdell 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
#12,351
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,517
+1 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 871 places
2020
#12,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,441
-76 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Up 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,480 | 2,516 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,351 | 2,517 | 0.85 | +1 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 871 places |
| 2020 | #12,182 | 2,441 | 0.82 | -76 bearers (-3.0%) | Up 169 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 Lobdell 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 | #12,351 | #12,182 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,517 | 2,441 | -3.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.82 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lobdell bearers went from 2,517 to 2,441 (-3.0% change). The surname moved up 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,351 to #12,182.
FAQ
Lobdell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lobdell?
Name Census estimates that about 2,799 living Americans carry the surname Lobdell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 122,456 residents.
How common is Lobdell?
Lobdell ranks #12,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 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 2,441 people with the surname Lobdell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,799), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 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 Lobdell.
Has Lobdell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lobdell went from 2,517 recorded bearers to 2,441. That is a decrease of 76 (-3.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,351 to #12,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Lobdell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lobdell, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.2%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Lobdell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (2,117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lobdell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Two or More Races (5.2%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Lobdell (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 Lobdell mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "small stream" 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 Lobdell (0.82 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 Lobdell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.