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

Lofton, 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 Lofton surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lofton in America

Lofton is the 2590th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lofton surname appeared 13,900 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 5 people would have the surname Lofton.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lofton 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 Lofton

The surname Lofton is of English origin, believed to have originated in the 11th or 12th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old English words "loft" and "tun," meaning a loft or upper room and a town or settlement, respectively. This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived in an elevated dwelling or a settlement with a loft-like structure.

The earliest known records of the name Lofton can be traced back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Loftune." This entry suggests the existence of a settlement or manor with a similar name, potentially linked to the origin of the surname. Over time, the name evolved into various spellings, including Loftoun, Loftown, and eventually Lofton.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Lofton was Robert de Lofton, who lived in Lincolnshire, England, in the 13th century. Another notable figure was Sir William Lofton, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in Yorkshire, England, during the 14th century.

In the 15th century, the name appears in the historical records of the Duchy of Lancaster, where a certain John Lofton was mentioned as a tenant in Lancashire. This region is believed to have been a stronghold for the Lofton family during this period.

Moving into the 16th century, a notable figure was Thomas Lofton (c. 1520-1590), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Clare College, Cambridge. Another significant individual was Sir John Lofton (1558-1623), a Member of Parliament for Lincolnshire and a prominent figure in the English Civil War.

In the 17th century, the name appears in the records of the Virginia Colony, where William Lofton (c. 1630-1690) was one of the early settlers and landowners. This suggests that the Lofton family had established roots in the New World during this time period.

Other notable individuals with the surname Lofton include Samuel Lofton (1704-1782), a British politician and member of the House of Commons, and James Lofton (1773-1845), an American soldier and politician who served as a member of the Tennessee State Senate.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lofton

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

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

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

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