Find out how popular the last name Laff is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Laff.

Laff, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Laff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laff in America

Laff is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laff surname appeared 125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Laff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laff to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Laff

The surname Laff has its origins in the Old French word "laffe," which means "to laugh." It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Picardy, during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Laff can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a person named Radulfus Laffe, who was a landowner in Middlesex, England.

During the 12th century, the surname Laff began to appear in various historical records and manuscripts across England and France. It is thought that this name was initially given as a nickname to individuals known for their cheerful or jovial nature.

The earliest known person with the surname Laff was Sir William Laff, a noble knight who lived in Lincolnshire, England, in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Richard Laff, a merchant from Bristol, England, who traded goods with merchants from Normandy in the 14th century.

In the 15th century, the surname Laff was found in various spellings, such as Laf, Laffe, and Laffey, reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time. One notable individual from this period was John Laffey, a scholar and clergyman from Oxford, England, who lived between 1410 and 1472.

During the 16th century, the surname Laff became more widespread across England and Scotland. One notable bearer of the name was Sir Thomas Laff, a Scottish military commander who served in the army of King James IV and fought at the Battle of Flodden in 1513.

In the 17th century, the surname Laff was also found in various parts of Europe, including Germany and the Netherlands. One notable individual from this period was Johannes Laff, a Dutch painter known for his landscapes and portraits, who lived from 1620 to 1677.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laff

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Laff.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Laff was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Laff has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Laff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Laff, please contact us.

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