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

Lonsdale, 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 Lonsdale surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lonsdale in America

Lonsdale is the 30165th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lonsdale surname appeared 777 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 Lonsdale.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lonsdale 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 Lonsdale

The surname Lonsdale has its origins in England, specifically in the county of Lancashire. It is derived from the Old English words "lund" meaning a grove or small wood, and "dæl" meaning a valley or dale. The name likely referred to someone who lived in a valley near a small wood or grove of trees.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Lonsdale can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is spelled as "Lonsdale". This suggests that the name existed in England before the Norman Conquest of 1066.

During the 12th and 13th centuries, the Lonsdale family held lands in the area of Lonsdale, which is now part of the modern-day city of Lancaster. The family's coat of arms featured a red lion rampant on a silver shield, indicating their status as landowners and their connection to the region.

One notable figure with the surname Lonsdale was Sir John Lonsdale (1528-1587), an English politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Lancashire during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He was involved in the suppression of the Northern Rebellion in 1569.

Another prominent individual with this surname was James Lonsdale (1777-1839), a British geologist and paleontologist. He made significant contributions to the study of fossil plants and was a pioneer in the field of paleobotany.

In the 19th century, the Lonsdale family played a role in the industrialization of Lancashire. William Lonsdale (1794-1871) was a successful cotton manufacturer and philanthropist who established several schools and churches in the region.

During the same period, Edward Lonsdale (1817-1890) was a notable architect who designed numerous buildings in Lancashire, including churches, schools, and public buildings. His works were heavily influenced by the Gothic Revival style popular at the time.

Another notable figure was Frederick Lonsdale (1881-1954), an English playwright and screenwriter. He wrote several successful plays in the early 20th century, including "The Last of Mrs. Cheyney" and "On Approval".

The name Lonsdale has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Lonsdale Avenue, Lonsdale Road, and Lonsdale Street, which can be found in cities like Liverpool, Manchester, and London.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lonsdale

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

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

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

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