2000
#2,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,311
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.31
Uncommon Last name
Loomis
A surname of English origin referring to a person who lived near an elm tree or elm grove.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,208 Americans carry the last name Loomis. That puts it at #2,492 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,147 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loomis surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
16K
1 in 21,147
Census rank
#2,492
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 14,134 bearers of the surname Loomis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2492nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loomis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loomis
The surname Loomis is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "loma," which means a tool or implement, particularly one used for weaving or tending to looms. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for someone who worked as a weaver or was involved in the production of textiles.
One of the earliest documented references to the Loomis surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lomas." This record provides evidence that the name was present in England shortly after the Norman Conquest. Over time, the spelling evolved to Loomis, and variations such as Lomas and Lumas were also used.
The Loomis surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Lancashire and Yorkshire, areas with a rich history of textile production. Records from the 13th and 14th centuries show the name appearing in these regions, often associated with individuals involved in the wool or cloth trade.
One notable early bearer of the Loomis name was John Loomis, who was born around 1550 in Braintree, Essex, England. He later immigrated to the American colonies, becoming one of the founders of Windsor, Connecticut, in 1638. His descendants went on to establish branches of the Loomis family throughout New England and other parts of the United States.
Another prominent figure was Elias Loomis, an American mathematician, and astronomer who lived from 1811 to 1889. He made significant contributions to the fields of meteorology and astronomy, publishing several influential works and serving as a professor at Yale University.
In the literary world, Reverend Justin Loomis (1810-1885) was a notable figure. He was an American author and clergyman who wrote extensively on theological and philosophical topics, including works such as "The Reasons for Embracing the Doctrine of Universal Salvation" and "The Modern War Against Christ and His Church."
Sir Ralph Loomis (1860-1944) was a British businessman and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for the City of London from 1900 to 1906. He was also involved in various commercial endeavors, including the shipping industry and the development of the London Docks.
Finally, Brewster Loomis (1892-1974) was an American writer and journalist who gained recognition for his works of fiction, particularly his short stories. He is best known for his collection "The Circus Comes to Town" and for his contributions to popular magazines of the time, such as The Saturday Evening Post and Collier's Weekly.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loomis
Among Census respondents with the surname Loomis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Loomis bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Loomis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 12,908
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 508
- Two or more races3.4% · 475
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 98
- Black or African American0.5% · 73
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 72
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loomis
Loomis appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,518
+207 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 4.92
Rank movement Down 171 places
2020
#2,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,134
-384 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 4.73
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,314 | 14,311 | 5.31 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,485 | 14,518 | 4.92 | +207 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 171 places |
| 2020 | #2,492 | 14,134 | 4.73 | -384 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 7 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Loomis surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,485 | #2,492 | -0.3% |
| Count | 14,518 | 14,134 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 4.92 | 4.73 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loomis bearers went from 14,518 to 14,134 (-2.6% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,485 to #2,492.
FAQ
Loomis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loomis?
Name Census estimates that about 16,208 living Americans carry the surname Loomis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 21,147 residents.
How common is Loomis?
Loomis ranks #2,492 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.73 per 100,000 residents, which is about 5 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 14,134 people with the surname Loomis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (16,208), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.73 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 5 of them to have the surname Loomis.
Has Loomis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loomis went from 14,518 recorded bearers to 14,134. That is a decrease of 384 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,485 to #2,492.
What does the Census say about the background of Loomis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loomis, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Loomis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (12,908 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loomis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.4%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Loomis (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Loomis mean?
A surname of English origin referring to a person who lived near an elm tree or elm grove. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Loomis (4.73 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How common is the surname Loomis?
See how many people have the surname Loomis on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.