Show ContentsLofton History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The origins of the Lofton name lie with England's ancient Anglo-Saxon culture. It comes from when the family lived in the village of Lofthouse during the reign of King Alfred in 900 AD. This place-name was originally derived from the Old Norse words lopt meaning loft and hus meaning house. Therefore the original bearers of the Lofton surname were dwellers of the loft house. 1

Early Origins of the Lofton family

The surname Lofton was first found in North Yorkshire at Lofthouse, a small village in Nidderdale in the Harrogate district or at Lofthouse, a village in West Yorkshire. "This place, in the Domesday Survey Lochtushum, was granted by the Conqueror to Hugh Lupus, Earl of Chester, who soon afterwards transferred it to the Percy family, of whom William de Percy, the third Baron, in 1133 founded at Handall, in the parish, a priory for Benedictine nuns, which he dedicated to the Virgin Mary." 2

Early History of the Lofton family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Lofton research. Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1273, 1573, 1605, 1619, 1620, 1639, 1647, 1691, 1695 and 1797 are included under the topic Early Lofton History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lofton Spelling Variations

Before the last few hundred years, the English language had no fast system of spelling rules. For that reason, spelling variations are commonly found in early Anglo-Saxon surnames. Over the years, many variations of the name Lofton were recorded, including Loftus, Lofthouse, Loftis, Loftiss, Loftos and others.

Early Notables of the Lofton family

Another 39 words (3 lines of text) are included under the topic Early Lofton Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Lofton Ranking

In the United States, the name Lofton is the 2,120th most popular surname with an estimated 14,922 people with that name. 3

Migration of the Lofton family to Ireland

Some of the Lofton family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 81 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


Lofton migration to the United States +

To escape oppression and starvation at that time, many English families left for the "open frontiers" of the New World with all its perceived opportunities. In droves people migrated to the many British colonies, those in North America in particular, paying high rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Although many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, those who did see the shores of North America perceived great opportunities before them. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Research into various historical records revealed some of first members of the Lofton family emigrate to North America:

Lofton Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Ike Lofton, who landed in Arkansas in 1896 4
Lofton Settlers in United States in the 20th Century
  • Adolph Lofton, who arrived in Arkansas in 1900 4
  • Edwin Lofton, aged 28, who settled in America, in 1910
  • Henry Lofton, aged 24, who landed in America, in 1916
  • Philipp Lofton, who immigrated to the United States, in 1919
  • Jim Lofton, aged 24, who settled in Brookhaven, Miss., in 1922
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Lofton (post 1700) +

  • James David Lofton (b. 1956), American football player and coach, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2003
  • Lawrence "Tricky" Lofton (b. 1930), American jazz trombonist
  • James O'Neal Lofton (b. 1974), former American shortstop in Major League Baseball
  • Oscar W. Lofton (b. 1938), former American football player and coach
  • Steve Lofton (b. 1968), former American football cornerback
  • Melanie Lofton (b. 1980), American television reporter and news anchor
  • Saab Lofton, American author, cartoonist and radio personality
  • David Lofton (b. 1984), American football safety
  • John Lofton, American conservative political commentator and editor
  • Curtis Tremayne Lofton (b. 1986), American football linebacker
  • ... (Another 9 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)


  1. Mills, A.D., Dictionary of English Place-Names. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1991. Print. (ISBN 0-19-869156-4)
  2. Lewis, Samuel, A Topographical Dictionary of England. Institute of Historical Research, 1848, Print.
  3. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)


Houseofnames.com on Facebook