2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Locklier
A derivative of the English word "lockier," referring to a maker or seller of locks.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Locklier. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Locklier 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Locklier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Locklier, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Locklier
The surname Locklier is of English origin, emerging in the medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "locc-lyr," which translates to "lock clearing" or "clearing in a forest." This suggests the name originated from a location or settlement situated within a wooded area that had been partially cleared.
The earliest known record of the Locklier surname appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire from 1273, where it is spelled as "Lockler." This document was a census taken during the reign of King Edward I, listing landowners and their properties.
In the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Loklier" and "Loklyer," can be found in various historical records, including the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire from 1327 and the Poll Tax Returns of Yorkshire from 1379.
One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was John Locklier, born around 1420 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a landowner and farmer who held property in the village of Naunton.
Another notable figure was William Locklier, born in 1537 in Warwickshire. He was a prominent merchant and member of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, a prestigious trade guild in London.
In the 16th century, the Locklier surname appeared in the Muster Rolls of Leicestershire from 1584, which recorded individuals eligible for military service. One such individual was Thomas Locklier, born in 1560 in the village of Lutterworth.
During the 17th century, the Locklier surname was found in various parish records, including the baptismal records of St. Mary's Church in Warwick, where Robert Locklier, born in 1625, was recorded.
Another notable figure was Elizabeth Locklier, born in 1678 in Gloucestershire. She was a renowned author and poet, publishing several works during her lifetime, including "Verses on the Seasons" in 1712.
As for place names associated with the Locklier surname, there is a village called Lockyers Quay in Somerset, which may have been derived from a similar root word or named after an individual with the Locklier surname who resided there.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Locklier
Among Census respondents with the surname Locklier, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Locklier 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 Locklier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 98
- Two or more races6.8% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.3% · 5
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Locklier
Locklier 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,421 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+15 bearers (+14.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 14,162 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,421 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.7%) | Up 14,162 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 Locklier 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 | #158,432 | #144,270 | 8.9% |
| Count | 102 | 117 | 14.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 30.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Locklier bearers went from 102 to 117 (+14.7% change). The surname moved up 14,162 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #144,270.
FAQ
Locklier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Locklier?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Locklier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Locklier?
Locklier ranks #144,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 117 people with the surname Locklier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Locklier.
Has Locklier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Locklier went from 102 recorded bearers to 117. That is an increase of 15 (+14.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Locklier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Locklier, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.3%). 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 Locklier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Locklier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Two or More Races (6.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.3%). 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 Locklier (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 Locklier mean?
A derivative of the English word "lockier," referring to a maker or seller of locks. 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 Locklier (0.04 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 common is the surname Locklier?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Locklier at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.