2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lorish
Of Scandinavian origin, a topographic name denoting someone from a woodland or forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147 Americans carry the last name Lorish. That puts it at #136,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,331,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lorish 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
147
1 in 2,331,662
Census rank
#136,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
128
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128 bearers of the surname Lorish in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorish, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lorish
The surname Lorish is believed to have originated in the region of Lorraine, which is located in the northeastern part of modern-day France. It is thought to have emerged sometime during the medieval period, likely between the 11th and 13th centuries.
The name Lorish is believed to be derived from the Old French word "lorain," which means "from Lorraine." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have hailed from or had some connection to the region of Lorraine. Alternative spellings of the name during its early history include Loresh, Lorice, and Loriche.
One of the earliest known references to the name Lorish can be found in the Cartulaire de l'Abbaye de Saint-Mihiel, a collection of charters and records from the Abbey of Saint-Mihiel in Lorraine, dating back to the 12th century. This document mentions a certain "Johannes Lorish" among the abbey's tenants.
In the 13th century, a record from the Duchy of Lorraine mentions a "Renaud Lorish" who was a prominent landowner in the region. This suggests that the name had gained some status and prominence by that time.
One of the earliest known individuals to bear the surname Lorish was Jean Lorish (c. 1450-1520), a poet and playwright from the town of Metz in Lorraine. His works, which included religious plays and poems, were widely circulated and performed throughout the region.
Another notable bearer of the name was Étienne Lorish (1530-1599), a French scholar and humanist from the town of Pont-à-Mousson in Lorraine. He was known for his writings on philosophy and theology, and served as a professor at the University of Pont-à-Mousson.
In the 17th century, a family of Lorish nobles emerged in the town of Épinal, also located in Lorraine. One of the most prominent members of this family was Pierre Lorish (1620-1687), a military officer who served in the armies of the Duchy of Lorraine and later the Kingdom of France.
During the 18th century, a branch of the Lorish family settled in the city of Nancy, the capital of Lorraine. One of their descendants, Marie-Anne Lorish (1755-1821), was a renowned painter and portraitist whose works were celebrated throughout the region.
As the centuries passed, the Lorish surname spread beyond the borders of Lorraine and into other parts of France, as well as other countries in Europe and beyond. However, its origins and connections to the region of Lorraine remain deeply ingrained in the history and heritage of this distinctive surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lorish
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorish, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lorish 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 Lorish surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 121
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.3% · 3
- Black or African American1.6% · 2
- Two or more races1.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lorish
Lorish 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,862 places
2020
#136,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+8 bearers (+6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,146 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 7,862 places |
| 2020 | #136,082 | 128 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.7%) | Up 3,146 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 Lorish 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 | #139,228 | #136,082 | 2.3% |
| Count | 120 | 128 | 6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lorish bearers went from 120 to 128 (+6.7% change). The surname moved up 3,146 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #136,082.
FAQ
Lorish surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lorish?
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the surname Lorish. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,331,662 residents.
How common is Lorish?
Lorish ranks #136,082 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 128 people with the surname Lorish. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lorish.
Has Lorish become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lorish went from 120 recorded bearers to 128. That is an increase of 8 (+6.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #139,228 to #136,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Lorish?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lorish, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Lorish in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (121 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lorish appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.3%), Black (1.6%). 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 Lorish (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 Lorish mean?
Of Scandinavian origin, a topographic name denoting someone from a woodland or forest. 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 Lorish (0.04 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 people are called Lorish?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Lorish at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.