Lamour last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Lamour

A French surname denoting one from a place called Amour or love.

Lamour, 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 Lamour surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lamour in America

Lamour is the 22543rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lamour surname appeared 1,140 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 Lamour.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lamour 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 22543 26125 -14.72%
Count 1,140 881 25.63%
Proportion per 100k 0.39 0.33 16.67%

The history of the last name Lamour

The surname LAMOUR is of French origin, deriving from the phrase "l'amour," which translates to "the love" in English. This name likely originated in the northern regions of France during the early medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.

One of the earliest known recordings of the name LAMOUR can be found in the Livre Ancien, a French manuscript dating back to 1265, where it was spelled as "Lamur." This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the lack of standardized orthography.

The name LAMOUR may have been initially used as a descriptive surname, possibly given to individuals who displayed a particularly amorous or affectionate nature. Alternatively, it could have been derived from a location name, such as a village or estate bearing a similar moniker.

In the 14th century, a notable figure named Jean LAMOUR (1325-1390) was mentioned in the records of the city of Reims, where he served as a prominent merchant and landowner. This early example highlights the presence of the surname in the Champagne region of France.

During the Renaissance period, the LAMOUR name gained further prominence with the birth of Pierre LAMOUR (1510-1578), a renowned French philosopher and theologian who authored several influential works on ethics and morality.

In the 17th century, a family of LAMOUR artists emerged in the city of Nancy, known for their exceptional metalworking skills. The most famous among them was Jean LAMOUR (1648-1719), a celebrated ironsmith whose intricate gates and architectural embellishments adorned many churches and public buildings throughout eastern France.

Another significant figure bearing the LAMOUR surname was Marie-Anne LAMOUR (1719-1795), a French writer and feminist who advocated for women's rights and education. Her literary works, which included novels and plays, challenged societal norms and helped shape the intellectual discourse of the Enlightenment era.

As the LAMOUR name spread across Europe, it also found its way to other countries, such as Belgium and Switzerland, where variations like "Lamoure" and "Lamours" emerged.

While the surname LAMOUR may have evolved from its original meaning over time, it remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and historical significance of French surnames.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lamour

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

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 Lamour was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 15.70% 179
Non-Hispanic Black Only 74.47% 849
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.23% 14
Hispanic Origin 7.54% 86

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 Lamour has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 15.70% 22.59% -35.99%
Black 74.47% 61.86% 18.50%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% (S)% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races 1.23% 7.49% -143.58%
Hispanic 7.54% 7.60% -0.79%

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

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

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"Lamour last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on December 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/lamour-surname-popularity/.

"Lamour last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/lamour-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 December, 2024

Lamour last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/lamour-surname-popularity/.

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