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

Lahn, 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 Lahn surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lahn in America

Lahn is the 47791st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lahn surname appeared 443 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 Lahn.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lahn 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 Lahn

The surname LAHN is believed to have its origins in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the Old German word "lahn," which referred to a grassy meadow or pasture land. This word likely originated from the Proto-Germanic root "lamaz," meaning lame or crippled, possibly indicating that the name initially referred to a person with a physical disability.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LAHN appears in a manuscript from the 14th century, where it is spelled as "Lan." This document, a record of land ownership in the region of Saxony, mentions a landowner named Konrad Lan. The name is also found in various other medieval records, such as tax rolls and legal documents, with spellings like "Laen" and "Laehn."

The LAHN surname is closely linked to several place names in Germany, particularly in the regions of Hesse and Rhineland-Palatinate. The town of Lahn, located along the banks of the River Lahn, is believed to have been named after the meadows surrounding it, and it is possible that the surname originated from this area.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname LAHN was Johann Lahn (1508-1567), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. Another prominent individual was Johann Friedrich Lahn (1742-1808), a German composer and organist who lived during the Classical period.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the LAHN surname appears in various records across Europe, indicating that individuals with this name had started to migrate and settle in different regions. For instance, a merchant named Hans Lahn is documented as residing in Amsterdam in the late 17th century, while a family of Lahns is recorded as living in the town of Strasbourg, France, in the early 18th century.

One of the most famous bearers of the LAHN surname was the German painter and printmaker Max Lahn (1888-1962), who was known for his landscapes and still-life works. Another notable figure was the German physicist and Nobel Prize winner Otto Lahn (1879-1968), who made significant contributions to the field of quantum mechanics.

The history of the LAHN surname is deeply rooted in the German language and geography, with its origins tracing back to the Middle Ages. While its spelling and distribution have evolved over time, the name has maintained a strong presence across various regions of Europe, particularly in Germany and the surrounding areas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lahn

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

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 Lahn 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 Lahn 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 Lahn was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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