2000
#8,441
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,596
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Loring
A locational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Loring in Normandy, France.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,861 Americans carry the last name Loring. That puts it at #9,275 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 88,773 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loring 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Loring with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.9K
1 in 88,773
Census rank
#9,275
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,367 bearers of the surname Loring in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9275th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loring, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loring
The surname Loring is of English origin, with its roots traced back to the 11th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English word "lore," meaning a teaching or instruction, suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a teacher or a scholar.
The earliest known reference to the name Loring can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is recorded as "Loringa." This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a comprehensive survey of landowners and their properties in England at the time.
During the Middle Ages, the name Loring was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk in eastern England. Some notable individuals bearing this surname include Roger Loring (c. 1292-1361), a prominent English judge and politician who served as Lord Chancellor under Edward III.
In the 16th century, the name Loring was sometimes spelled as "Louring" or "Lowring," reflecting the variations in spelling that were common during that era. One notable figure from this period was Sir Neville Loring (c. 1515-1589), an English soldier and courtier who served under Queen Elizabeth I.
The 17th and 18th centuries saw the name Loring spread to other parts of England, as well as to the Americas. One notable bearer of the name was Joshua Loring (1688-1770), a merchant and politician from Massachusetts who served as the Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives.
In the 19th century, the Loring family established itself as a prominent clan in the United States. One notable figure was Charles Greeley Loring (1794-1867), a lawyer and politician from Massachusetts who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Another influential Loring was George Bailey Loring (1817-1891), an American minister and author who served as the President of the University of Kansas from 1864 to 1867. Additionally, Joshua Atwood Loring (1828-1886) was a prominent military officer who served in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.
Throughout history, the surname Loring has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including judges, politicians, soldiers, merchants, and scholars. While its origins can be traced back to 11th century England, the name has since spread across the globe, carrying with it a rich legacy and diverse historical tapestry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loring
Among Census respondents with the surname Loring, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Loring 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 Loring surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.1% · 2,662
- Black or African American8.1% · 272
- American Indian and Alaska Native4.4% · 149
- Two or more races4.2% · 142
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loring
Loring 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
#8,802
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,720
+124 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 361 places
2020
#9,275
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,367
-353 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 473 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,441 | 3,596 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,802 | 3,720 | 1.26 | +124 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 361 places |
| 2020 | #9,275 | 3,367 | 1.13 | -353 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 473 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 Loring 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 | #8,802 | #9,275 | -5.4% |
| Count | 3,720 | 3,367 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.13 | -10.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loring bearers went from 3,720 to 3,367 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 473 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,802 to #9,275.
FAQ
Loring surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loring?
Name Census estimates that about 3,861 living Americans carry the surname Loring. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 88,773 residents.
How common is Loring?
Loring ranks #9,275 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.13 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 3,367 people with the surname Loring. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,861), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.13 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 Loring.
Has Loring become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loring went from 3,720 recorded bearers to 3,367. That is a decrease of 353 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,802 to #9,275.
What does the Census say about the background of Loring?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loring, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.1%. The next largest groups are Black (8.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (4.4%). 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 Loring in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.1% (2,662 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loring appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.1%), Black (8.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (4.4%). 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 Loring (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 Loring mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from any of several places called Loring in Normandy, France. 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 Loring (1.13 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 Loring?
Find out how common the surname Loring is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.