2000
#19,313
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,298
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.48
Rare Last name
Locklin
A surname derived from a place name, possibly indicating origin or former residence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,342 Americans carry the last name Locklin. That puts it at #22,534 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.39 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 255,406 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Locklin 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
1.3K
1 in 255,406
Census rank
#22,534
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,170 bearers of the surname Locklin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.39 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 22534th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Locklin, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Locklin
The surname Locklin has its origins in England, and it is believed to have first emerged around the 14th century. The name is derived from the Old English words "loca" and "hlinn," which together mean "a hill or ridge with a hollowed-out area." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname likely lived near such a geographical feature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Locklin name can be found in the Inquisitiones Nonarum Rolls of 1341, where a Robert de Lokelyng is mentioned. This particular spelling variation highlights the common practice of adding the suffix "-ing" to surnames during that era.
In the late 15th century, a Johanne Lokelyn is listed in the Yorkshire Chantry Surveys of 1546, further solidifying the presence of the name in the northern regions of England.
One notable historical figure bearing the Locklin surname was Sir John Locklin (1592-1672), a prominent English politician and landowner who served as a Member of Parliament for the borough of Ripon during the reign of King Charles I.
During the 17th century, the name also appeared in various parish records across counties such as Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire, with spellings like Locklyn and Lockland being used interchangeably.
Another individual of note was Robert Locklin (1730-1804), an English clergyman and author who published several works on theology and moral philosophy during the latter half of the 18th century.
As the centuries progressed, the Locklin name continued to be found in various parts of England, with some individuals migrating to other parts of the British Isles and eventually to the American colonies.
One such individual was James Locklin (1765-1848), an early settler in Kentucky who served as a soldier during the American Revolutionary War.
In the 19th century, Samuel Locklin (1820-1891) was a prominent businessman and landowner in Texas, where he established several successful cattle ranches and played a significant role in the development of the region's agricultural industry.
Throughout its history, the Locklin surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, ranging from landowners and politicians to clergymen and soldiers, reflecting the diverse backgrounds of those who bore this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Locklin
Among Census respondents with the surname Locklin, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Locklin 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 Locklin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White68.0% · 796
- Black or African American22.8% · 267
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 65
- Two or more races3.2% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Locklin
Locklin 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
#18,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,468
+170 bearers (+13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Up 598 places
2020
#22,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,170
-298 bearers (-20.3%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 3,819 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,313 | 1,298 | 0.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,715 | 1,468 | 0.50 | +170 bearers (+13.1%) | Up 598 places |
| 2020 | #22,534 | 1,170 | 0.39 | -298 bearers (-20.3%) | Down 3,819 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 Locklin 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 | #18,715 | #22,534 | -20.4% |
| Count | 1,468 | 1,170 | -20.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.39 | -21.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Locklin bearers went from 1,468 to 1,170 (-20.3% change). The surname moved down 3,819 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,715 to #22,534.
FAQ
Locklin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Locklin?
Name Census estimates that about 1,342 living Americans carry the surname Locklin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 255,406 residents.
How common is Locklin?
Locklin ranks #22,534 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.39 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 1,170 people with the surname Locklin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,342), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.39 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.39 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 Locklin.
Has Locklin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Locklin went from 1,468 recorded bearers to 1,170. That is a decrease of 298 (-20.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #18,715 to #22,534.
What does the Census say about the background of Locklin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Locklin, the largest self-reported group is White at 68.0%. The next largest groups are Black (22.8%) and Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Locklin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 68.0% (796 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Locklin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (68.0%), Black (22.8%), Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Locklin (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 Locklin mean?
A surname derived from a place name, possibly indicating origin or former residence. 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 Locklin (0.39 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 Locklin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.