2000
#13,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,070
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Loflin
Possibly an English locational surname derived from a lost or unidentified place named with the Old English elements "lof" (love) or "lofe" (dear, beloved) and "linn" (torrent, pool).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,121 Americans carry the last name Loflin. That puts it at #15,281 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,600 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loflin 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
2.1K
1 in 161,600
Census rank
#15,281
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,850 bearers of the surname Loflin in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15281st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loflin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loflin
The surname Loflin originated in the English county of Cornwall. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "lof" and "lin," which together translate to "a hill or ridge covered with flax or linseed." The earliest recorded spelling of the name is found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lovelinne."
In the 13th century, the name was recorded as "Lovelyne" in the Pipe Rolls of Cornwall, indicating that the family had established roots in the region by that time. It is also possible that the name may have been derived from a place name, as there are several locations in Cornwall with similar names, such as Lovelane and Lovelynch.
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was John Loflin, who was born in Cornwall around 1350. He was a prominent landowner and served as a sheriff in the county during the reign of King Edward III.
In the 16th century, the Loflin family gained further prominence with the birth of William Loflin (1521-1588), a renowned scholar and author who wrote extensively on subjects such as history, philosophy, and theology.
Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Loflin (1654-1732), a member of the English Parliament who played a significant role in the Glorious Revolution of 1688. He was knighted for his services to the Crown and became a respected figure in political circles.
During the 18th century, the surname Loflin spread beyond Cornwall as members of the family migrated to other parts of England and even to the American colonies. One such individual was Robert Loflin (1723-1795), who settled in Virginia and became a prosperous plantation owner.
In the 19th century, the Loflin name gained further recognition with the birth of Charles Loflin (1837-1917), a renowned naturalist and explorer who made significant contributions to the study of flora and fauna in various parts of the world.
Throughout its history, the surname Loflin has been associated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including landowners, scholars, politicians, and explorers, reflecting the rich tapestry of English heritage and the widespread migration of families bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loflin
Among Census respondents with the surname Loflin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Loflin 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 Loflin surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.2% · 1,669
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 77
- Two or more races3.5% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 20
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loflin
Loflin 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
#14,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,053
-17 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Down 1,043 places
2020
#15,281
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,850
-203 bearers (-9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,480 | 2,070 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,523 | 2,053 | 0.70 | -17 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 1,043 places |
| 2020 | #15,281 | 1,850 | 0.62 | -203 bearers (-9.9%) | Down 758 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 Loflin 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 | #14,523 | #15,281 | -5.2% |
| Count | 2,053 | 1,850 | -9.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.70 | 0.62 | -11.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loflin bearers went from 2,053 to 1,850 (-9.9% change). The surname moved down 758 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,523 to #15,281.
FAQ
Loflin surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loflin?
Name Census estimates that about 2,121 living Americans carry the surname Loflin. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,600 residents.
How common is Loflin?
Loflin ranks #15,281 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,850 people with the surname Loflin. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,121), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Loflin.
Has Loflin become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loflin went from 2,053 recorded bearers to 1,850. That is a decrease of 203 (-9.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,523 to #15,281.
What does the Census say about the background of Loflin?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loflin, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Loflin in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.2% (1,669 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loflin appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.2%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Loflin (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 Loflin mean?
Possibly an English locational surname derived from a lost or unidentified place named with the Old English elements "lof" (love) or "lofe" (dear, beloved) and "linn" (torrent, pool). 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 Loflin (0.62 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 share the surname Loflin?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.