Explore the Family Name Lofton
The meaning of Lofton
English: variant of Loftin 1 and, in North America, an altered form of this. This surname is no longer found in Britain. In the US, it is a southern name, common e.g. in TX, MS, and LA. Its bearers are mostly African Americans. History: Many of the American bearers of the surname Lofton are descendants of Leonard Loftin Sr from England (see Loftin).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lofton in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Lofton saw a slight decrease in ranking from 2000 to 2010, moving from rank 2507 to 2590, which is a change of -3.31%. However, the actual count of people with the Lofton surname increased by 5.21%, going up from 13,212 in 2000 to 13,900 in 2010. This indicates that while the overall proportion of people with the Lofton surname per 100,000 decreased slightly by -3.88% over the decade, the absolute number of individuals bearing the surname increased.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,507 | #2,590 | -3.31% |
| Count | 13,212 | 13,900 | 5.21% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.9 | 4.71 | -3.88% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lofton
In terms of ethnic identity associated with the Lofton surname, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some divergent trends between 2000 and 2010. The largest group remained those identifying as Black, which saw an increase of 0.41% from 56.24% to 56.47%. Individuals identifying their ethnicity as White formed the second-largest group but their proportion saw a decrease of -5.35%, moving from 38.91% to 36.83%. Most notable was the significant increase in individuals identifying as belonging to two or more races, which rose by 57.22% from 1.80% to 2.83%. Furthermore, there was also a noticeable increase in the Hispanic category by 43.04% from 1.58% to 2.26%. Despite being the smallest groups, there were also increases for those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native by 11.54% and 10.00% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Black | 56.24% | 56.47% | 0.41% |
| White | 38.91% | 36.83% | -5.35% |
| Two or More Races | 1.8% | 2.83% | 57.22% |
| Hispanic | 1.58% | 2.26% | 43.04% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.2% | 1.32% | 10% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.26% | 0.29% | 11.54% |
Lofton ancestry composition
23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Lofton is British & Irish, which comprises 48.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (17.8%) and Nigerian (10.5%). Additional ancestries include Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Angolan & Congolese, Scandinavian, Senegambian & Guinean, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.9% |
| French & German | 17.8% |
| Nigerian | 10.5% |
| Other | 22.8% |
Possible origins of the surname Lofton
Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.
Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Lofton have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 72.80% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 72.80% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 72.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 72.30% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 72.30% |
What Lofton haplogroups can tell you
Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.
The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Lofton is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include I-L233 and E-M4254, which are predominantly found among people with European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wellington, Spencer, Lindsay, Hubbard, Goode, Cornelius, Glover, Sargent, Acevedo, Jarrett.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lofton surname are: H1, H, L2a1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European and Sub-Saharan African ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Lofton have in common?
Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.
Preferences
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Lofton" Surname 47.6%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Lofton" Surname 30.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lofton" Surname 23.4%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lofton" Surname 16.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lofton?
The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.
Disease variant frequency by ancestry
Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Lofton are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition