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

Loftus, 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 Loftus surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Loftus in America

Loftus is the 4347th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Loftus surname appeared 8,166 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Loftus.

We can also compare 2010 data for Loftus 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 Loftus

The surname Loftus is of Anglo-Saxon origin, derived from the Old English words "loft" meaning an upper room or floor, and "hus" meaning a house or dwelling. It is believed to have originated in England sometime during the 11th or 12th century, possibly as a descriptive name for someone who lived in an upper chamber or loft of a building.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Loftus name can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a survey of landowners in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The name appears as "Lofthus" in the records for Yorkshire.

The Loftus family later established a stronghold in the village of Loftus, located in the North Riding of Yorkshire, England. This village likely took its name from the family, and its earliest mention dates back to the 13th century.

During the Middle Ages, the Loftus family played a prominent role in the history of Yorkshire. Adam de Loftus, born around 1200, was a notable figure who served as the Sheriff of Yorkshire in the late 13th century.

In the 16th century, Sir Adam Loftus (1533-1605) was an influential figure who served as the Lord Chancellor of Ireland and the Archbishop of Dublin. He played a crucial role in the establishment of Trinity College, Dublin, and was a key figure in the English Reformation in Ireland.

Another notable bearer of the Loftus name was Dudley Loftus (1619-1695), an English jurist and politician who served as a judge and member of the House of Commons in the 17th century.

During the 18th century, the Loftus family continued to hold significant positions in Ireland. Nicholas Loftus (1737-1805) was a prominent Irish politician and member of the Irish House of Commons, while Arthur Loftus (1745-1806) was a British naval officer who served in the Royal Navy during the American Revolutionary War.

In more recent history, one of the most famous individuals with the Loftus surname was Elizabeth Loftus (1944-), an American cognitive psychologist and expert on human memory. Her pioneering research on the malleability of memory and the creation of false memories has had a significant impact on the field of psychology and legal proceedings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Loftus

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

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

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

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