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

Loch, 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 Loch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Loch in America

Loch is the 12496th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Loch surname appeared 2,481 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Loch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Loch 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 Loch

The surname Loch has its origins in Scotland, where it first emerged in the 13th century. It is derived from the Gaelic word "loch," which means lake or body of water. This suggests that the name initially belonged to someone who lived near a loch or body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Loch can be found in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, which were a series of official records that documented the submission of Scottish nobles to King Edward I of England. In these rolls, the name appears as "de Loch," indicating that the bearer lived near a loch.

During the Middle Ages, the name Loch was particularly prevalent in the Highlands of Scotland, where lochs and bodies of water were abundant. It was often associated with specific place names, such as Lochleven or Lochgelly, where the families bearing the name lived or held land.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the surname Loch was James Loch (1505-1568), a Scottish Protestant reformer and minister. He played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Scotland during the Reformation era.

Another prominent figure with the surname Loch was Sir Henry Brougham Loch (1827-1900), a British colonial administrator who served as Governor of Victoria, Australia, and High Commissioner of the Cape Colony in South Africa.

In the literary world, the name Loch is associated with Mary Loch (1879-1928), a Scottish writer and novelist known for her works set in the Scottish Highlands and Islands. Her novels, such as "The Piper's Tune" and "The House by the Loch," captured the essence of rural Scottish life.

The surname Loch also has connections to the world of academia and science. One notable figure is David Loch (1770-1838), a Scottish mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the calculation of planetary orbits.

Another bearer of the name Loch was Sir Charles William Loch (1849-1923), a British diplomat and colonial administrator who served as the Governor of Cape Colony and High Commissioner for Southern Africa. He played a crucial role in the governance of British territories in Africa during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

While the surname Loch has its roots in Scotland, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Scottish emigration and the expansion of the British Empire. However, its origins can be traced back to the picturesque lochs and bodies of water that dot the Scottish landscape, reflecting the connection between this name and the geography of its homeland.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Loch

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

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

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

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