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

Locust, 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 Locust surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Locust in America

Locust is the 36525th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Locust surname appeared 612 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Locust.

We can also compare 2010 data for Locust 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 Locust

The surname Locust is of Anglo-Saxon origin and is derived from the Old English word "loppestre," which means "one who gathers locusts." The name is thought to have been initially given as a nickname to someone who collected and sold locusts as a food source.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Locust dates back to the 13th century in the County of Norfolk, England. In the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, there is a reference to a John Loppestre, which is believed to be an early spelling variation of the surname Locust.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Locust appeared in various historical records, such as the Subsidy Rolls of Worcestershire in 1327, which listed a William Loppestre, and the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Staffordshire in 1332, which mentioned a Robert Loppestre.

One notable historical figure with the surname Locust was Sir John Locust (c. 1450 - 1520), a wealthy merchant and landowner from Lincolnshire, England. He served as the Sheriff of London in 1498 and was knighted by King Henry VII in 1505.

Another individual of note was Thomas Locust (c. 1560 - 1625), an English churchman who served as the Archdeacon of Carlisle from 1612 until his death.

In the 17th century, the surname Locust was also found in the New World, with records indicating that a William Locust arrived in Virginia aboard the Bonaventure in 1634.

Other notable individuals with the surname Locust include:

1. Robert Locust (1730 - 1804), a British naval officer who served during the American Revolutionary War.
2. Elizabeth Locust (1765 - 1842), a pioneering English botanist and one of the first female members of the Linnean Society.
3. William Locust (1795 - 1872), an English architect responsible for designing several prominent buildings in London during the Victorian era.
4. James Locust (1824 - 1901), a Scottish-born inventor and engineer who patented several innovative designs for agricultural machinery.
5. Mary Locust (1858 - 1938), an American social reformer and advocate for women's suffrage, known for her work in establishing the National Woman's Party.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Locust

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

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

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

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