2000
#2,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,943
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.80
Uncommon Last name
Lockett
Derived from a place name meaning "enclosure with a lockable gate" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 15,548 Americans carry the last name Lockett. That puts it at #2,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.54 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 22,045 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lockett 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 Lockett with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 22,045
Census rank
#2,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,559 bearers of the surname Lockett in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.54 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lockett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.3%. The next largest groups are White (21.2%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lockett
The surname Lockett is of English origin, derived from the occupational name for a locksmith or maker of locks. It dates back to the late 12th century and is derived from the Old English words "loc" meaning lock, and "kett" meaning maker or worker.
The name is first recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Worcestershire in 1182, where a William Lockett is mentioned. This is one of the earliest known references to the name in historical records. The name is also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, listed under various spellings such as Lochet and Lochett.
In the 13th century, the name is recorded in various forms, including Loket, Lokette, and Lokette. These variations likely reflect the regional dialects and spelling conventions of the time. The name Lockett appears to have been most prevalent in the counties of Worcestershire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire, where locksmiths and metalworkers were in demand.
One notable bearer of the name was Sir John Lockett (c.1520-1592), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London. He was a prominent figure in the Elizabethan era and played a role in the establishment of the Levant Company, which traded with the Ottoman Empire.
Another significant figure was Reverend Samuel Lockett (1610-1655), an English clergyman and author who wrote several religious works, including "The Christian Souldier" and "A Treatise of Conversion".
In the 18th century, the name Lockett was associated with the industrial revolution and the growth of metalworking and engineering in England. William Lockett (1745-1818) was a renowned engineer and inventor, known for his improvements to the spinning jenny and other textile machinery.
In the United States, one of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Lockett (1725-1790), who emigrated from England to Virginia in the mid-18th century. His descendants played a significant role in the early history of the American South.
Throughout its history, the surname Lockett has been associated with various occupations and professions, particularly those related to metalworking, engineering, and manufacturing. It is a name with a rich heritage and a strong connection to the skilled trades that shaped the industrial development of England and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lockett
Among Census respondents with the surname Lockett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.3%. The next largest groups are White (21.2%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lockett 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 Lockett surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American69.3% · 9,396
- White21.2% · 2,872
- Two or more races5.7% · 773
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 422
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 51
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 45
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lockett
Lockett 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
#2,555
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,140
+1,197 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 4.79
Rank movement Up 16 places
2020
#2,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,559
-581 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 4.54
Rank movement Down 45 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,571 | 12,943 | 4.80 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,555 | 14,140 | 4.79 | +1,197 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 16 places |
| 2020 | #2,600 | 13,559 | 4.54 | -581 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 45 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 Lockett 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 | #2,555 | #2,600 | -1.8% |
| Count | 14,140 | 13,559 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.79 | 4.54 | -5.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lockett bearers went from 14,140 to 13,559 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 45 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,555 to #2,600.
FAQ
Lockett surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lockett?
Name Census estimates that about 15,548 living Americans carry the surname Lockett. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 22,045 residents.
How common is Lockett?
Lockett ranks #2,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.54 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 13,559 people with the surname Lockett. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (15,548), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.54 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.54 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Lockett.
Has Lockett become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lockett went from 14,140 recorded bearers to 13,559. That is a decrease of 581 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,555 to #2,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Lockett?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lockett, the largest self-reported group is Black at 69.3%. The next largest groups are White (21.2%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lockett in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.3% (9,396 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lockett appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (69.3%), White (21.2%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Lockett (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 Lockett mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "enclosure with a lockable gate" 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 Lockett (4.54 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 Americans have the surname Lockett?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.