2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Loughan
A surname derived from a place name meaning "small lake" or "lough".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Loughan. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loughan 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Loughan in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loughan, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loughan
The surname Loughan is believed to have originated in Ireland, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Irish Gaelic word "Lochán," which means "a small lake or pond." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a small body of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Loughan surname can be found in the Fiants of the Reign of Elizabeth I, which were records of royal grants and letters patent issued during her reign (1558-1603). The name appeared in these records as "Loughan" and "Loughane," indicating its presence in Ireland during that time period.
In the 17th century, the Loughan surname was particularly concentrated in County Tipperary, Ireland. Historians have found references to individuals with this surname in various historical documents from that region, such as land records, parish registers, and legal documents.
One notable individual with the Loughan surname was Patrick Loughan, a Catholic priest who lived in County Tipperary in the late 18th century (born around 1750). He was known for his efforts in promoting education and was involved in the establishment of several schools in the area.
Another prominent figure was Michael Loughan (1818-1891), an Irish politician and lawyer who served as a Member of Parliament for County Tipperary in the late 19th century. He was a vocal advocate for tenant rights and land reform in Ireland.
In the 19th century, the Loughan surname also appeared in some place names in Ireland, such as Loughan Hill in County Tipperary and Loughan Castle in County Cavan. These place names likely derived from the surname itself, reflecting the presence of families with this name in those areas.
Other notable individuals with the Loughan surname include:
1. John Loughan (1837-1909), an Irish-born Australian politician who served as a member of the Legislative Assembly of Victoria.
2. Mary Loughan (1870-1923), an Irish writer and journalist who contributed to various publications in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
3. Patrick Loughan (1846-1914), an Irish-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Loughan Lumber Company in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
4. William Loughan (1822-1891), an Irish-born American soldier who served in the Union Army during the American Civil War and received the Medal of Honor for his bravery.
5. Margaret Loughan (1865-1947), an Irish-born Canadian teacher and suffragist who advocated for women's rights and educational reform in Ontario.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loughan
Among Census respondents with the surname Loughan, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Loughan 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 Loughan surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.3% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loughan
Loughan 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
#126,765
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
+12 bearers (+9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 1,183 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-28 bearers (-20.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,874 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,765 | 135 | 0.05 | +12 bearers (+9.8%) | Up 1,183 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-20.7%) | Down 24,874 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 Loughan 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 | #126,765 | #151,639 | -19.6% |
| Count | 135 | 107 | -20.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -28.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loughan bearers went from 135 to 107 (-20.7% change). The surname moved down 24,874 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,765 to #151,639.
FAQ
Loughan surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loughan?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Loughan. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Loughan?
Loughan ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Loughan. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Loughan.
Has Loughan become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loughan went from 135 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 28 (-20.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,765 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Loughan?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loughan, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Loughan in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.3% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loughan appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Loughan (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 Loughan mean?
A surname derived from a place name meaning "small lake" or "lough". 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 Loughan (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 Americans have the surname Loughan?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.