2000
#2,754
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,017
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.45
Uncommon Last name
Matlock
Derived from a place name meaning "oak trees by a moot or meeting hill" in Old English.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,541 Americans carry the last name Matlock. That puts it at #2,982 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,312 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Matlock 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 Matlock with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
14K
1 in 25,312
Census rank
#2,982
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,808 bearers of the surname Matlock in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2982nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Matlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Matlock
The surname Matlock is of English origin and dates back to the medieval period. Its earliest known roots can be traced to the place name Matlock, which refers to a town in Derbyshire, England. The name is derived from the Old English words 'mæt' meaning 'meeting' and 'loca' meaning 'enclosed place', suggesting it was once a gathering place surrounded by natural boundaries.
Matlock first appeared in written records in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled 'Metелoc'. This comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror documented the town's population and resources, providing valuable insights into its early history.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Matlock was William de Matlock, who lived in the 13th century and was mentioned in the Pipe Rolls of Derbyshire in 1248. The Pipe Rolls were financial records maintained by the English Exchequer, indicating that William was likely a landowner or taxpayer in the region.
During the 14th century, the surname appeared in various spellings, such as Matlok, Matloke, and Mattelok, reflecting the evolving nature of English orthography at the time. One notable bearer was John Matlok, who was recorded in the Cartulary of Burton Abbey in Staffordshire in 1389.
In the 16th century, the surname Matlock gained prominence with the rise of Sir John Matlock (1516-1588), a prominent English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1573. He played a significant role in the city's governance and trade affairs during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
Another influential figure was Sir John Matlock (1661-1720), a British naval officer who served as the Governor of Bermuda from 1701 to 1705. His tenure was marked by efforts to improve the island's defenses and infrastructure.
The surname Matlock also has connections to literary figures. One example is Mary Matlock (1684-1738), an English writer and poet whose works were published in various anthologies and magazines during the early 18th century.
In the 19th century, William Matlock (1802-1875) was a renowned American architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings, including the Old State House in Springfield, Illinois, and the Soldiers' Home in Hampton, Virginia.
While these are a few notable examples, the surname Matlock has been borne by many individuals throughout history, each contributing to the rich tapestry of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Matlock
Among Census respondents with the surname Matlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Matlock 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 Matlock surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White70.4% · 8,309
- Black or African American19.1% · 2,258
- Two or more races5.6% · 667
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 395
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 65
Timeline
Historical Census data for Matlock
Matlock 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
#2,861
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,599
+582 bearers (+4.8%)
Per 100,000 4.27
Rank movement Down 107 places
2020
#2,982
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,808
-791 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 3.95
Rank movement Down 121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,754 | 12,017 | 4.45 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,861 | 12,599 | 4.27 | +582 bearers (+4.8%) | Down 107 places |
| 2020 | #2,982 | 11,808 | 3.95 | -791 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 121 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 Matlock 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 | #2,861 | #2,982 | -4.2% |
| Count | 12,599 | 11,808 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.27 | 3.95 | -7.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Matlock bearers went from 12,599 to 11,808 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 121 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,861 to #2,982.
FAQ
Matlock surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Matlock?
Name Census estimates that about 13,541 living Americans carry the surname Matlock. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,312 residents.
How common is Matlock?
Matlock ranks #2,982 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,808 people with the surname Matlock. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,541), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Matlock.
Has Matlock become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Matlock went from 12,599 recorded bearers to 11,808. That is a decrease of 791 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,861 to #2,982.
What does the Census say about the background of Matlock?
Among Census respondents with the surname Matlock, the largest self-reported group is White at 70.4%. The next largest groups are Black (19.1%) and Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Matlock in the 2020 Census, accounting for 70.4% (8,309 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Matlock appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (70.4%), Black (19.1%), Two or More Races (5.6%). 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 Matlock (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 Matlock mean?
Derived from a place name meaning "oak trees by a moot or meeting hill" in Old English. 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 Matlock (3.95 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 last name Matlock?
Want to know how many people have the last name Matlock? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.