2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Lovingfoss
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream of the foster-children or beloved ones".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 115 Americans carry the last name Lovingfoss. That puts it at #155,682 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,980,473 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lovingfoss 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
115
1 in 2,980,473
Census rank
#155,682
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
100
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 100 bearers of the surname Lovingfoss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155682nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovingfoss, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%) and Black (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lovingfoss
The surname LOVINGFOSS has its origins in Northern England, specifically in the region of Northumbria. It is believed to have emerged in the late 11th century, shortly after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name is derived from the Old English words "lufian" meaning "to love" and "foss" meaning "a waterfall or cascade."
The earliest known record of the name appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Lufingfoss." This entry suggests that the name may have been associated with a particular location or landmark featuring a waterfall that was cherished or beloved by the local community.
In the 13th century, the name can be found in various medieval records, often spelled as "Luvyngfoss" or "Lovyngfosse." One notable example is a mention in the Pipe Rolls of Northumberland from 1272, where a certain "William de Lovyngfosse" is listed as a landowner.
During the 14th century, the LOVINGFOSS family appears to have migrated southward, as evidenced by records from Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. In the Subsidy Rolls of 1379, a "John Lovyngfoss" is recorded as a taxpayer in the village of Howden, East Riding of Yorkshire.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing the LOVINGFOSS name was Sir Robert Lovingfoss (1420-1488), a knight from Northumberland who served under King Henry VI during the Wars of the Roses. He was renowned for his bravery and loyalty to the House of Lancaster.
Another noteworthy figure was Elizabeth Lovingfoss (1530-1612), a renowned herbalist and healer from Yorkshire. Her knowledge of medicinal plants and traditional remedies was widely sought after in her time.
In the 17th century, the LOVINGFOSS family had established a presence in the city of York, where a prominent member, Thomas Lovingfoss (1642-1708), served as a alderman and was involved in local governance.
During the 18th century, the name was occasionally anglicized to "Lovingforce" or "Lovingforss," as evidenced by records from various parishes in Northumberland and Durham.
One of the most celebrated individuals with the LOVINGFOSS surname was the poet and writer, Emily Lovingfoss (1780-1856), who was born in Newcastle upon Tyne. Her work, which celebrated the natural beauty of the Northumbrian countryside, earned her acclaim in literary circles of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lovingfoss
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovingfoss, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%) and Black (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lovingfoss 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 Lovingfoss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 92
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.0% · 4
- Black or African American2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lovingfoss
Lovingfoss appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,682
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-2 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 2,750 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,682 | 100 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 2,750 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 Lovingfoss 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 | #158,432 | #155,682 | 1.7% |
| Count | 102 | 100 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 11.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lovingfoss bearers went from 102 to 100 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 2,750 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #155,682.
FAQ
Lovingfoss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lovingfoss?
Name Census estimates that about 115 living Americans carry the surname Lovingfoss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,980,473 residents.
How common is Lovingfoss?
Lovingfoss ranks #155,682 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 100 people with the surname Lovingfoss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (115), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Lovingfoss.
Has Lovingfoss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lovingfoss went from 102 recorded bearers to 100. That is a decrease of 2 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #155,682.
What does the Census say about the background of Lovingfoss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lovingfoss, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%) and Black (2.0%). 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 Lovingfoss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lovingfoss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.0%), Black (2.0%). 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 Lovingfoss (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 Lovingfoss mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "stream of the foster-children or beloved ones". 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 Lovingfoss (0.03 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 people have the surname Lovingfoss?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.