2000
#9,118
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,291
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.22
Rare Last name
Losey
Derived from the Middle English word "lose," referring to a pig sty or pen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,617 Americans carry the last name Losey. That puts it at #9,801 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 94,762 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Losey 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
3.6K
1 in 94,762
Census rank
#9,801
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,154 bearers of the surname Losey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9801st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Losey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Losey
The surname Losey has its origins in England and dates back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old English words "hlose" meaning pigsty or hovel, and "ey" meaning island or dry ground, suggesting the name may have referred to someone who lived near a small island or raised area of land where pigs were kept.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Losey can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Gloucestershire from 1207, which lists a Roger de Losey as a landowner. The name was also referenced in the Hundred Rolls of Bedfordshire from 1273, where it appeared as "Losye."
By the 13th century, variations of the name such as Losey, Loseye, and Losye were found in various regions of England, including Oxfordshire, Gloucestershire, and Bedfordshire. Some of these early recordings may have been influenced by the Norman French spelling of the name, which was often rendered as "Losie."
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Losey was John Losey, who was born in Gloucestershire around 1320. He was a prominent landowner and served as a member of the local gentry. Another notable figure was William Losey, born in 1435 in Oxfordshire, who was a successful merchant and served as a alderman in the city of Oxford.
In the 16th century, the name Losey was closely associated with the village of Losey in Gloucestershire, which may have derived its name from the same Old English roots as the surname. During this time, several members of the Losey family were recorded in parish records and tax rolls in the surrounding areas.
Other notable individuals with the surname Losey include:
1. Richard Losey (1570-1642), a prominent landowner and magistrate in Oxfordshire.
2. Thomas Losey (1625-1688), an English Puritan minister who emigrated to colonial New England and served as a pastor in several towns.
3. Benjamin Losey (1712-1789), an American Revolutionary War soldier from Connecticut who fought in several major battles.
4. John Losey (1785-1868), an early settler and pioneer in Ohio who established one of the first mills in the state.
5. Joseph Losey (1909-1984), an American film director known for his work in Britain, including the acclaimed films "The Servant" and "The Go-Between."
While the spelling and pronunciation of the name may have evolved over time, the surname Losey has maintained its connection to its Old English roots and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout its long history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Losey
Among Census respondents with the surname Losey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Losey 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 Losey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.2% · 2,814
- Two or more races4.2% · 133
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 102
- Black or African American1.4% · 44
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 27
Timeline
Historical Census data for Losey
Losey 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
#9,672
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,355
+64 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 554 places
2020
#9,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,154
-201 bearers (-6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 129 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,118 | 3,291 | 1.22 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,672 | 3,355 | 1.14 | +64 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 554 places |
| 2020 | #9,801 | 3,154 | 1.06 | -201 bearers (-6.0%) | Down 129 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 Losey 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 | #9,672 | #9,801 | -1.3% |
| Count | 3,355 | 3,154 | -6.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.14 | 1.06 | -7.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Losey bearers went from 3,355 to 3,154 (-6.0% change). The surname moved down 129 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,672 to #9,801.
FAQ
Losey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Losey?
Name Census estimates that about 3,617 living Americans carry the surname Losey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 94,762 residents.
How common is Losey?
Losey ranks #9,801 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.06 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 3,154 people with the surname Losey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,617), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.06 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 Losey.
Has Losey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Losey went from 3,355 recorded bearers to 3,154. That is a decrease of 201 (-6.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,672 to #9,801.
What does the Census say about the background of Losey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Losey, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.2%) and Hispanic (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 Losey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.2% (2,814 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Losey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.2%), Two or More Races (4.2%), Hispanic (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 Losey (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 Losey mean?
Derived from the Middle English word "lose," referring to a pig sty or pen. 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 Losey (1.06 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 Losey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.