Find out how popular the last name Lorn is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lorn.

Lorn, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lorn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lorn in America

Lorn is the 119508th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lorn surname appeared 145 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lorn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lorn to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lorn

The surname Lorn is believed to have originated in Scotland, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Gaelic word "lorn," which means "bare" or "naked." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone who lived in a sparsely populated or desolate area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a historical document that lists those who swore fealty to King Edward I of England. In this record, a person named Gillebride de Lorne is mentioned, indicating that the name was already in use in Scotland by the late 13th century.

The surname Lorn is closely associated with the Clan MacDougall, a powerful Scottish clan that held lands in the region of Lorn, which encompasses parts of Argyll and the Inner Hebrides islands. The clan's ancestral seat was at Dunollie Castle, near Oban, and they were known as the Lords of Lorn.

In the 14th century, John of Lorn (c. 1330-1390) was a notable figure from the region. He was the son of John MacDougall, Lord of Lorn, and played a significant role in the Wars of Scottish Independence, initially supporting the Balliols against Robert the Bruce but later switching allegiance to the Bruce cause.

Another prominent individual with the surname Lorn was Alexander de Lorn (fl. 1260s), a Scottish cleric and poet who wrote a Latin poem titled "De Vita et Obitu Roberti Regis Scotiae" (On the Life and Death of Robert, King of Scotland), which chronicled the life of Robert the Bruce.

In the 16th century, Sir John Lorn (c. 1510-1580) was a Scottish nobleman and military commander who served as the Keeper of Dunstaffnage Castle and was involved in various conflicts, including the Battle of Langside in 1568.

Other notable figures with the surname Lorn include:

1. Malcolm Lorn (c. 1200-1270), a Scottish nobleman and military leader who fought in the Wars of Scottish Independence.
2. Archibald Lorn (c. 1550-1620), a Scottish clergyman and academic who served as the Principal of the University of St. Andrews.
3. Elizabeth Lorn (c. 1670-1740), a Scottish poet and writer who published a collection of poems titled "The Poetic Garland" in 1712.
4. William Lorn (c. 1780-1850), a Scottish engineer and inventor who is credited with developing an early form of the steam engine.
5. Margaret Lorn (c. 1820-1890), a Scottish educator and activist who campaigned for women's rights and founded one of the first schools for girls in Edinburgh.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lorn

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lorn.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lorn was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lorn has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lorn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lorn, please contact us.

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