2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lockling
A surname derived from a geographic location containing a small lock or barrier.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Lockling. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lockling 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Lockling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lockling, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.2%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lockling
The surname Lockling is believed to have originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old English words "loca" meaning enclosure or lock, and "ling" meaning a small hill or ridge. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a small hill or ridge with an enclosure or lock.
One of the earliest records of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and property holdings in England, commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a landowner named Locclinga, which is likely an early variation of the surname Lockling.
In the 13th century, a knight named Sir William Lockling fought alongside King Edward I during the Scottish Wars of Independence. He was reportedly granted lands in Northumberland for his bravery and loyalty.
During the 16th century, the name appeared in various records in the county of Yorkshire, with spellings such as Locklyng and Lockeling. One notable figure from this period was Thomas Lockling, a merchant and alderman in the city of York, who lived from 1530 to 1602.
In the 17th century, a family of Locklings settled in the village of Clapham, near Bedford. One member of this family, John Lockling, born in 1654, became a respected teacher and scholar, known for his work on Latin grammar.
Another notable individual with the surname Lockling was Mary Lockling, a philanthropist and social reformer who lived from 1790 to 1862. She was instrumental in establishing several charitable organizations in London, aimed at improving the lives of the poor and underprivileged.
The surname Lockling has also been associated with several place names throughout England, including Lockling Hill in Derbyshire, and Lockling Green in Kent. These names likely derived from the Old English words that gave rise to the surname itself.
While the surname Lockling is not among the most common in England, it has a rich and diverse history, with connections to various regions, occupations, and notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lockling
Among Census respondents with the surname Lockling, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.2%) and Hispanic (5.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lockling 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 Lockling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.7% · 94
- Two or more races7.2% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lockling
Lockling appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+7 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,379 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 7,379 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 Lockling 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 | #156,044 | #148,665 | 4.7% |
| Count | 104 | 111 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lockling bearers went from 104 to 111 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 7,379 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #148,665.
FAQ
Lockling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lockling?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Lockling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Lockling?
Lockling ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Lockling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Lockling.
Has Lockling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lockling went from 104 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 7 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Lockling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lockling, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.2%) and Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Lockling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.7% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lockling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.7%), Two or More Races (7.2%), Hispanic (5.4%). 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 Lockling (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 Lockling mean?
A surname derived from a geographic location containing a small lock or barrier. 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 Lockling (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 many people are called Lockling?
See how common the surname Lockling is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.