Explore the Family Name Laughton
The meaning of Laughton
English: 1. habitational name from Laughton en le Morthen in Yorkshire, Laughton in Leicestershire or Laughton in Lincolnshire (near Gainsborough) . The places are named with Old English lēac ‘leek’ + tūn ‘enclosure’, meaning ‘village or farm where leeks are grown’. It may sometimes have alternated with Leighton, which is mostly from placenames with the same etymology. 2. occasionally perhaps a habitational name from Loughton in Essex. The placename denoted ‘Luh(h)a’s estate’ (Old English Luh(h)a + the connective infix -ing- + Old English tūn). English surnames from the placename usually occur as Loughton, but the placename is also recorded as Lufton in 1512 and Laughton in 1586, and it is these variants that gave rise to the forms of the surname that were taken to the US; see Loftin. 3. variant of Lawton.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Laughton in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Laughton" shows a slight increase in its popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 24,680 and rose to 24,325 by 2010, showing a growth rate of 1.44%. The total count of individuals bearing this surname also increased from 948 to 1,031 within the same period, indicating an 8.76% increase. However, the proportion per 100,000 people remained constant at 0.35.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #24,680 | #24,325 | 1.44% |
| Count | 948 | 1,031 | 8.76% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.35 | 0.35 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Laughton
The Decennial U.S. Census data also reveals that the ethnic identity linked with the surname "Laughton" is predominantly White, with 87.76% in 2000 slightly dipping to 86.91% in 2010. There has been a noticeable increase in individuals identifying as Hispanic (from 1.69% in 2000 to 2.72% in 2010) and those with American Indian and Alaskan Native ethnicity (from 0.53% to 0.87%). Contrarily, the percentage of people identifying as Black declined from 6.54% to 5.24%. Those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander or with two or more races also saw modest increases.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.76% | 86.91% | -0.97% |
| Black | 6.54% | 5.24% | -19.88% |
| Two or More Races | 2.85% | 3.59% | 25.96% |
| Hispanic | 1.69% | 2.72% | 60.95% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.53% | 0.87% | 64.15% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.63% | 0.68% | 7.94% |