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

Lofty, 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 Lofty surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lofty in America

Lofty is the 56073rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lofty surname appeared 365 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 Lofty.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lofty 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 Lofty

The surname Lofty is of English origin, deriving from an old nickname based on the Middle English word "loft" or "lofty", meaning tall or elevated. The name likely emerged as a descriptive nickname in the 12th or 13th century, referring to someone of a tall stature or a person who lived in an upper room or loft.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lofty can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire from 1166, where it appears as "Lofti". The name also appears in the Hundred Rolls of Huntingdonshire in 1273, spelled as "Lofty". These early records suggest the surname was established in various parts of England by the 13th century.

In the 14th century, the surname Lofty was associated with several notable individuals. Walter Lofty, a prominent merchant from Bristol, is mentioned in records from 1327. In 1349, a John Lofty is recorded as a landholder in the village of Lofthouse, which likely took its name from the surname.

During the 15th and 16th centuries, the surname Lofty continued to appear in various records across England. In 1457, a Thomas Lofty is listed as a tenant in the manor of Westerham, Kent. In 1532, a Richard Lofty is recorded as a taxpayer in the Lay Subsidy Rolls of Oxfordshire.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname Lofty was Sir John Lofty (c. 1480–1554), a Member of Parliament for Dorset during the reign of Henry VIII. Another notable figure was Sir Thomas Lofty (1518–1593), a wealthy merchant and alderman in the City of London, who served as Lord Mayor in 1567.

In the 17th century, the surname Lofty gained further prominence with individuals like Robert Lofty (1592–1658), a prominent lawyer and member of the Inner Temple in London. Additionally, Edward Lofty (1629–1701) was a renowned clergyman and chaplain to King Charles II.

The 18th century saw the birth of several notable Loftys, including Samuel Lofty (1716–1792), a renowned mathematician and astronomer who served as the Plumian Professor of Astronomy at the University of Cambridge. Another prominent figure was Admiral John Lofty (1735–1805), a distinguished naval officer who played a crucial role in several battles during the American Revolutionary War and the Napoleonic Wars.

Throughout its history, the surname Lofty has been associated with various locations and place names, such as Lofthouse, a village in West Yorkshire, and Loftus, a town in North Yorkshire. These place names likely derived from the surname itself or shared a similar linguistic origin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lofty

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

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

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

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