2000
#11,484
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,515
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Lorentz
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Lorenz, meaning "from Laurentum" or "from the place of laurel trees."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,811 Americans carry the last name Lorentz. That puts it at #12,140 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 121,933 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lorentz 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
2.8K
1 in 121,933
Census rank
#12,140
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,451 bearers of the surname Lorentz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12140th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lorentz
The surname Lorentz originated from the medieval German personal name Lorenz, derived from the Latin name Laurentius. This name ultimately traces back to the Roman family name Laurentius, which was derived from the Latin word 'laurus,' meaning 'laurel.' The laurel was a symbol of victory, honor, and poetry in ancient Rome.
Lorentz is a variant spelling that emerged in German-speaking regions, particularly in areas now part of modern-day Germany and Austria. The name first appeared in historical records dating back to the 12th century, with early references found in medieval charters and manuscripts.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Lorentz surname was Henricus Lorentz, a burgher of Cologne, mentioned in a charter dated 1189. Another early record is from the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, which mentions a certain Conradus Lorentz in 1283.
The name Lorentz was also found in the Breviarium Ecclesiae Herbipolensis, a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Würzburg, Germany. This document recorded the names of various individuals, including several with the surname Lorentz.
One of the most notable historical figures with this surname was Hendrik Antoon Lorentz (1853-1928), a Dutch physicist who shared the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the theory of electrons and the influence of electromagnetic phenomena. His contributions laid the foundation for the development of Einstein's theory of relativity.
Another prominent individual was the German painter Hans Lorentz (c. 1527-1583), known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums across Germany.
In the 16th century, the surname Lorentz was also associated with the town of Lorentzweiler in Luxembourg, which was likely named after an early bearer of the name.
Other historical figures with the surname Lorentz include:
1. Johann Friedrich Lorentz (1723-1807), a German theologian and philologist.
2. Johann Michael Lorentz (1744-1807), a German composer and organist.
3. Christian Lorentz (1797-1865), a German painter and lithographer.
4. Pavol Lorentz (1892-1966), a Slovak painter and graphic artist.
While the surname Lorentz has its roots in Germany and German-speaking regions, it has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers over centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lorentz
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lorentz 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 Lorentz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 2,223
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 90
- Two or more races3.2% · 78
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 29
- Black or African American0.7% · 16
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lorentz
Lorentz 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
#11,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,662
+147 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 283 places
2020
#12,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,451
-211 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 373 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,484 | 2,515 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,767 | 2,662 | 0.90 | +147 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 283 places |
| 2020 | #12,140 | 2,451 | 0.82 | -211 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 373 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 Lorentz 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 | #11,767 | #12,140 | -3.2% |
| Count | 2,662 | 2,451 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.82 | -8.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lorentz bearers went from 2,662 to 2,451 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 373 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,767 to #12,140.
FAQ
Lorentz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lorentz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,811 living Americans carry the surname Lorentz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 121,933 residents.
How common is Lorentz?
Lorentz ranks #12,140 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.82 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,451 people with the surname Lorentz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,811), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.82 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.82 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lorentz.
Has Lorentz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lorentz went from 2,662 recorded bearers to 2,451. That is a decrease of 211 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,767 to #12,140.
What does the Census say about the background of Lorentz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorentz, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.7%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Lorentz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (2,223 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lorentz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.7%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Lorentz (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 Lorentz mean?
A patronymic surname derived from the given name Lorenz, meaning "from Laurentum" or "from the place of laurel trees." 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 Lorentz (0.82 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 many Americans have the surname Lorentz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.