2000
#116,123
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lowthian
A locational surname derived from Lowther, a village in Westmorland, England.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Lowthian. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lowthian 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lowthian with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Lowthian in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowthian, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lowthian
The surname Lowthian is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated from a place name, possibly from the village of Lowdham in Nottinghamshire or a similar location. The name may have derived from the Old English words "hlaw" meaning "hill" and "tun" meaning "settlement" or "farm," suggesting a connection to a settlement situated on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, where it appears as "Loudham." This document, compiled during the reign of King Edward I, recorded the names of landowners and their holdings across England. The variation in spelling, such as "Lowdham" or "Ludham," was common during that era due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions.
In the late 13th century, the name Lowthian is mentioned in the records of the Exchequer Court of Pleas, where a certain Robert de Lowdham is listed as a plaintiff in a legal dispute over land ownership. This suggests that individuals bearing this surname were established landowners or held positions of relative prominence within their local communities.
One notable figure bearing the Lowthian surname was Sir William Lowthian (1529-1592), a prominent English lawyer and member of the Privy Council during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. He served as the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas and played a significant role in the administration of justice during his time.
Another notable individual was John Lowthian (1585-1659), an English clergyman and academic who served as the Master of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, from 1632 until his death. He was known for his contributions to education and his involvement in theological debates of the era.
In the 18th century, Richard Lowthian (1708-1789) was a renowned English painter renowned for his portraits and landscapes. His works were highly regarded and can be found in various art collections across the United Kingdom.
During the Victorian era, Henry Lowthian (1820-1892) was a prominent industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the coal mining industry in northern England. He was also a philanthropist and supported various charitable causes in his local community.
Another noteworthy figure was Elizabeth Lowthian (1867-1942), a pioneering British educator and advocate for women's rights. She campaigned for equal educational opportunities for women and played a crucial role in establishing several educational institutions for girls and young women in the early 20th century.
While the Lowthian surname may have originated from a specific geographic location, it has since spread across England and beyond, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions to various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lowthian
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowthian, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lowthian 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 Lowthian surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 106
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lowthian
Lowthian 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
-6 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 12,126 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-14 bearers (-10.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,539 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,123 | 139 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | -6 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 12,126 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.5%) | Down 14,539 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 Lowthian 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 | #128,249 | #142,788 | -11.3% |
| Count | 133 | 119 | -10.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -20.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lowthian bearers went from 133 to 119 (-10.5% change). The surname moved down 14,539 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #142,788.
FAQ
Lowthian surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lowthian?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Lowthian. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Lowthian?
Lowthian ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Lowthian. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Lowthian.
Has Lowthian become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lowthian went from 133 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 14 (-10.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Lowthian?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lowthian, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Lowthian in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lowthian appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Lowthian (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 Lowthian mean?
A locational surname derived from Lowther, a village in Westmorland, England. 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 Lowthian (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 people have the surname Lowthian?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.