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

Loft, 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 Loft surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Loft in America

Loft is the 36337th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Loft surname appeared 616 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 Loft.

We can also compare 2010 data for Loft 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 Loft

The surname LOFT is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Old English word "loft," which meant an upper room or attic. The name likely referred to someone who lived or worked in an upper room or attic of a building.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LOFT can be found in the Feet of Fines, a collection of legal records from the 13th century, where a person named William Loft was mentioned in the county of Essex in 1242. The surname also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273, where a certain Robert de la Lofte is listed.

During the 14th century, the surname LOFT was relatively widespread in various parts of England, particularly in the counties of Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Berkshire. This is evidenced by records such as the Subsidy Rolls of 1327, which mention individuals like John atte Lofte and Walter atte Lofte in Oxfordshire.

In the late 15th century, the surname LOFT appears in the Paston Letters, a collection of correspondence from the Paston family of Norfolk. One of the letters, written in 1472, mentions a person named Robert Loft, who was involved in legal matters concerning the Paston family.

Notable individuals with the surname LOFT throughout history include:

1. William Loft (c. 1480 - c. 1550), an English merchant and alderman of the City of London.
2. Thomas Loft (1571 - 1629), an English clergyman and author.
3. John Loft (1633 - 1677), an English Puritan minister and author.
4. Capel Loft (1678 - 1728), an English lawyer and Member of Parliament for Calne.
5. Samuel Loft (1737 - 1806), an English engraver and printmaker.

While the surname LOFT may have derived from a place name or occupation, its origins can be traced back to the Old English language and the medieval period, with early records showing its presence in various parts of England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Loft

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

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

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

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