Loriston
From an English place name derived from "lor" (laurel) and "tun" (enclosure or settlement).
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 274 Americans carry the last name Loriston. That puts it at #80,678 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,250,928 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loriston surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
274
1 in 1,250,928
Census rank
#80,678
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
235
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 235 bearers of the surname Loriston in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 80678th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loriston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loriston
The surname Loriston originates from the northern regions of France and is believed to have emerged during the 12th century. It is derived from a combination of the Old French words "loire" meaning a place of residence and "ton" denoting an enclosed area or settlement. Consequently, Loriston may have initially referred to a dwelling or small village situated near a body of water.
Early records indicate that the name Loriston was predominantly found in the regions of Normandy and Brittany. In the renowned Domesday Book, an invaluable survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, there are entries that potentially reference the surname in its archaic spelling variations, such as Lorieston and Louriston.
One of the earliest documented instances of the name Loriston can be traced back to a nobleman named Raoul de Loriston, who lived during the late 12th century and was a prominent figure in the court of King Philip II of France. Another notable bearer of the surname was Jehan Loriston, a French scholar and historian who authored several works on the history of Normandy in the early 15th century.
During the 16th century, the Loriston name gained prominence in the region of Brittany, where several members of the family held influential positions within the local nobility. One such figure was Gilles Loriston (1520-1592), a respected lawyer and legal advisor to the Dukes of Brittany.
As the Loriston surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to the British Isles. Notable individuals include Sir William Loriston (1675-1742), an English diplomat who served as an envoy to the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, and Mary Loriston (1725-1798), a Scottish poet and writer known for her romanticized depictions of the Scottish Highlands.
Furthermore, the Loriston name has been associated with several notable places throughout history. For instance, the village of Loriston-Clarke in Hampshire, England, is believed to have been named after a prominent local family bearing the surname in the 17th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loriston
Among Census respondents with the surname Loriston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Loriston bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Loriston surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American94.0%
- Hispanic or Latino3.0%
- Unknown or suppressed3.0%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Loriston surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #129,619 | #80,678 | 37.8% |
| Count | 121 | 235 | 94.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.08 | 100.0% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Loriston bearers went from 121 to 235 (+94.2% change). The surname moved up 48,941 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,619 to #80,678.
FAQ
Loriston surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Loriston?
The surname Loriston holds position #80,678 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 274 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Loriston surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loriston, the largest self-reported group is Black at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.