Lovelace
An English occupational surname referring to a person who made or sold lace.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 16,007 Americans carry the last name Lovelace. That puts it at #2,613 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 21,413 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lovelace 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
16K
1 in 21,413
Census rank
#2,613
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
14K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 13,787 bearers of the surname Lovelace in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2613th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovelace, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lovelace
The surname Lovelace originated in England and can be traced back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old English words "luf" meaning love and "leac" meaning plant or garden, referring to someone who lived near or maintained a lovage garden. The earliest recorded spelling of the name was as "de Lovelache" in the Pipe Rolls of Cambridgeshire in 1186.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard de Lovelace, who was recorded in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273. The Lovelace family held estates in several counties including Kent, Berkshire, and Oxfordshire. The name was also found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was recorded as "Loveraz" in the county of Wiltshire.
In the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved to its modern form of Lovelace. Notable individuals with this surname include Richard Lovelace (1617-1657), an English poet and cavalier. He is best known for his poems "To Lucasta, Going to the Wars" and "To Althea, from Prison". Another notable figure was John Lovelace, 4th Baron Lovelace (1672-1709), who served as a member of parliament and was involved in the Glorious Revolution of 1688.
In the 18th century, the Lovelace family continued to hold significant land and properties in Kent. Augusta Ada King, Countess of Lovelace (1815-1852), was an English mathematician and writer, best known for her work on the Analytical Engine and her collaboration with Charles Babbage. She is considered a pioneer of computer programming and is sometimes referred to as the first computer programmer.
Another notable Lovelace was Ralph Lovelace, 2nd Earl of Lovelace (1839-1906), who was a British peer and served as Lord Lieutenant of Berkshire. William Lovelace Gilbert (1866-1953) was an American composer and musician, known for his compositions for bands and orchestras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lovelace
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovelace, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lovelace 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 Lovelace surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.2%
- Black or African American23.6%
- Two or more races2.6%
- Hispanic or Latino2.3%
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Lovelace 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 | #2,478 | #2,613 | -5.4% |
| Count | 13,359 | 13,787 | 3.2% |
| Per 100K | 4.95 | 4.67 | -5.7% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Lovelace bearers went from 13,359 to 13,787 (+3.2% change). The surname moved down 135 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,478 to #2,613.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lovelace
FAQ
Lovelace surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Lovelace?
The surname Lovelace holds position #2,613 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 16,007 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 4.67 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Lovelace surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovelace, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.2%. The next largest groups are Black (23.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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.