Laos last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Laos

A toponymic surname derived from the Southeast Asian country of Laos.

Laos, 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 Laos surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laos in America

Laos is the 46811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laos surname appeared 454 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 Laos.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laos 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 46811 53047 -12.49%
Count 454 366 21.46%
Proportion per 100k 0.15 0.14 6.90%

The history of the last name Laos

The surname LAOS has its origins in Southeast Asia, specifically in the present-day country of Laos. It is believed to have emerged during the ancient Khmer Empire, which ruled over parts of modern-day Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos from the 9th to the 15th century.

The name LAOS is derived from the Lao language, which is the official language of Laos. It is thought to be a variation of the word "Lao," which means "the people" or "the nation" in the Lao language. This suggests that the surname was likely initially used to identify individuals or families belonging to the Lao ethnic group or those living within the territories controlled by the Lao kingdoms.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LAOS can be found in the Phra Lak Phra Lam, an ancient Lao literary work dating back to the 14th century. This text mentions several individuals with the surname LAOS, indicating that the name was already in use during that period.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure named Fa Ngum, who bore the surname LAOS, played a pivotal role in the unification of the Lao territories and the establishment of the Lan Xang Kingdom, which is considered the precursor to the modern nation of Laos.

Another notable individual with the surname LAOS was Chao Anou, a Lao prince and military leader who lived in the late 18th century. He was instrumental in defending the Lao territories against Siamese (Thai) invasions and is revered as a national hero in Laos.

In the 19th century, a French explorer and writer named Henri Mouhot, who visited the region, documented the presence of individuals with the surname LAOS in his travel accounts, indicating that the name was still in use during that period.

Other historical figures with the surname LAOS include Khamphao LAOS, a renowned Lao poet and scholar from the 19th century, and Phaya Phet Rat LAOS, a Lao prince and diplomat who played a crucial role in negotiating treaties with France in the late 19th century.

Throughout its history, the surname LAOS has been closely associated with the Lao people, their culture, and their territories. It has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including royalty, military leaders, scholars, and commoners, reflecting the diverse and rich heritage of the Lao nation.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laos

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

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 Laos was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 19.16% 87
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.76% 8
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 1.54% 7
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 77.09% 350

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

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 19.16% 19.40% -1.24%
Black 1.76% 1.37% 24.92%
Asian and Pacific Islander 1.54% 2.73% -55.74%
American Indian and Alaskan Native (S)% (S)% (S)%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 77.09% 75.14% 2.56%

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

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

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"Laos last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 22, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/laos-surname-popularity/.

"Laos last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/laos-surname-popularity/. Accessed 22 November, 2024

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

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