2000
#8,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,347
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.24
Rare Last name
Lowrance
Derived from the Old French name "Lorance," indicating someone from the region of Lorraine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,913 Americans carry the last name Lowrance. That puts it at #9,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 87,594 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lowrance 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
3.9K
1 in 87,594
Census rank
#9,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,412 bearers of the surname Lowrance in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowrance, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lowrance
The surname Lowrance is of English origin, derived from a place name referring to a geographical location where the bearers of the name once lived or held land. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century.
The name Lowrance is thought to be a variant spelling of the Old English word "lowhyrne," which means "a low or humble corner or nook." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have resided in a small, secluded area or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Subsidy Rolls of Yorkshire from 1297, which mention a Thomas de Lowerance. The "de" prefix in this instance indicates a connection to a specific place.
Another early reference is found in the Pipe Rolls of Cumberland from 1332, which list a Robert de Lowerance. The use of the "de" prefix reinforces the idea that the name originated from a place name.
In the 15th century, the name appears in various forms, such as Lowerance, Lowrance, and Lowraunce, reflecting the evolution of spelling conventions over time.
Notable individuals with the surname Lowrance include:
1. Robert Lowrance (c. 1530-1592), an English merchant and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Hull.
2. John Lowrance (1643-1711), a British Army officer who fought in the Nine Years' War and the War of the Spanish Succession.
3. Mary Lowrance (1700-1768), an English author and poet known for her publication "The Muse's Delightful Companion" in 1731.
4. William Lowrance (1787-1857), a British naval officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars and later became a successful merchant in Liverpool.
5. Thomas Lowrance (1823-1892), an American Civil War veteran who served in the Union Army and later became a prominent farmer in Indiana.
These examples showcase the historical presence and evolution of the surname Lowrance, which has its roots in the English language and can be traced back to the medieval period.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lowrance
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowrance, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lowrance 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 Lowrance surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.2% · 2,839
- Black or African American5.9% · 203
- Two or more races5.1% · 175
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 143
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 27
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lowrance
Lowrance 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
#9,175
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,557
+210 bearers (+6.3%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 193 places
2020
#9,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,412
-145 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 1.14
Rank movement Down 7 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,982 | 3,347 | 1.24 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,175 | 3,557 | 1.21 | +210 bearers (+6.3%) | Down 193 places |
| 2020 | #9,182 | 3,412 | 1.14 | -145 bearers (-4.1%) | Down 7 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 Lowrance 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 | #9,175 | #9,182 | -0.1% |
| Count | 3,557 | 3,412 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.21 | 1.14 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lowrance bearers went from 3,557 to 3,412 (-4.1% change). The surname moved down 7 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,175 to #9,182.
FAQ
Lowrance surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lowrance?
Name Census estimates that about 3,913 living Americans carry the surname Lowrance. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 87,594 residents.
How common is Lowrance?
Lowrance ranks #9,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.14 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 3,412 people with the surname Lowrance. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,913), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.14 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 Lowrance.
Has Lowrance become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lowrance went from 3,557 recorded bearers to 3,412. That is a decrease of 145 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,175 to #9,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Lowrance?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowrance, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.9%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Lowrance in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.2% (2,839 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lowrance appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.2%), Black (5.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Lowrance (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 Lowrance mean?
Derived from the Old French name "Lorance," indicating someone from the region of Lorraine. 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 Lowrance (1.14 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 common is the surname Lowrance?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Lowrance on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.