2000
#26,125
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 881
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.33
Rare Last name
Lamour
A French surname denoting one from a place called Amour or love.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,680 Americans carry the last name Lamour. That puts it at #18,606 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.49 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 204,020 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lamour surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.7K
1 in 204,020
Census rank
#18,606
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,465 bearers of the surname Lamour in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.49 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 18606th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamour, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.0%. The next largest groups are White (14.5%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lamour
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamour, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.0%. The next largest groups are White (14.5%) and Hispanic (7.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lamour bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lamour surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American73.0% · 1,069
- White14.5% · 213
- Hispanic or Latino7.9% · 116
- Two or more races4.1% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lamour
Lamour appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#22,543
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,140
+259 bearers (+29.4%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Up 3,582 places
2020
#18,606
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,465
+325 bearers (+28.5%)
Per 100,000 0.49
Rank movement Up 3,937 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #26,125 | 881 | 0.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,543 | 1,140 | 0.39 | +259 bearers (+29.4%) | Up 3,582 places |
| 2020 | #18,606 | 1,465 | 0.49 | +325 bearers (+28.5%) | Up 3,937 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lamour surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,543 | #18,606 | 17.5% |
| Count | 1,140 | 1,465 | 28.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.49 | 25.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lamour bearers went from 1,140 to 1,465 (+28.5% change). The surname moved up 3,937 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,543 to #18,606.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lamour
FAQ
Lamour surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lamour?
Name Census estimates that about 1,680 living Americans carry the surname Lamour. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 204,020 residents.
How common is Lamour?
Lamour ranks #18,606 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.49 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,465 people with the surname Lamour. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,680), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.49 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.49 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lamour.
Has Lamour become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lamour went from 1,140 recorded bearers to 1,465. That is an increase of 325 (+28.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,543 to #18,606.
What does the Census say about the background of Lamour?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lamour, the largest self-reported group is Black at 73.0%. The next largest groups are White (14.5%) and Hispanic (7.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lamour in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.0% (1,069 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lamour appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (73.0%), White (14.5%), Hispanic (7.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lamour (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lamour mean?
A French surname denoting one from a place called Amour or love. The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lamour (0.49 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Lamour?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.