2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lofft
A surname derived from the Old English word "loft" meaning an upper room or attic.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Lofft. 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 Lofft 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 Lofft 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 Lofft, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lofft
The surname LOFFT is of Anglo-Saxon origin, tracing its roots back to England in the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "loft," which referred to an upper room or a loft in a building. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational surname given to someone who worked or lived in a loft or upper chamber.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the LOFFT surname can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1273, where it appears as "Ricardus de Loft." This early entry provides evidence of the name's existence in the 13th century and its potential connection to the village or location of Loft.
The LOFFT surname is also found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1379, where it is spelled as "Laurencius Lofft." This record indicates that variations of the name, including the modern spelling, were already in use by the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, the LOFFT surname gained prominence with the birth of Capel Lofft (1521-1572), a notable English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament. His descendants continued to bear the name and contributed to its historical significance.
Another notable figure was Samuel Lofft (1652-1717), an English clergyman and author who was born in Berkshire. He is remembered for his religious writings and sermons published during his lifetime.
The LOFFT surname also has associations with place names, particularly in East Anglia, where the village of Lofft is located in Norfolk. This connection suggests that some bearers of the name may have originated from or resided in this area.
Moving into the 18th century, we find Joshua Lofft (1736-1828), a prominent English writer and playwright from Suffolk. His works, including the play "The Cozeners" and various translations, earned him recognition in literary circles.
In the 19th century, Sir Capel Lofft (1806-1873), an English baronet and politician, held the position of High Sheriff of Suffolk in 1861. His ancestry can be traced back to the earlier Capel Lofft mentioned in the 16th century.
Throughout its history, the LOFFT surname has maintained a presence across various regions of England, particularly in the eastern counties of Norfolk, Suffolk, and Lincolnshire. While not an extremely common surname, it has contributed to the rich tapestry of English naming traditions and has been borne by notable individuals in fields ranging from law and politics to literature and religion.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lofft
Among Census respondents with the surname Lofft, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lofft 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 Lofft surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino7.2% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lofft
Lofft 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 9,276 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+10 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,047 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Down 9,276 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 11,047 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 Lofft 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 | #159,712 | #148,665 | 6.9% |
| Count | 101 | 111 | 9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lofft bearers went from 101 to 111 (+9.9% change). The surname moved up 11,047 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #148,665.
FAQ
Lofft surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lofft?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Lofft. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Lofft?
Lofft 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 Lofft. 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 Lofft.
Has Lofft become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lofft went from 101 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 10 (+9.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Lofft?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lofft, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Lofft in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lofft appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (7.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Lofft (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 Lofft mean?
A surname derived from the Old English word "loft" meaning an upper room or attic. 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 Lofft (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 Lofft?
You can see how many people are called Lofft on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.