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

Laurel, 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 Laurel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laurel in America

Laurel is the 14920th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laurel surname appeared 1,984 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Laurel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laurel 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 Laurel

The surname Laurel originated in Spain, specifically in the region of Andalusia, during the medieval period. It is derived from the Spanish word "laurel," which means "laurel tree" or "bay tree." This word traces its roots back to the Latin word "laurus," referring to the same plant.

Laurel was initially used as a descriptive name, likely given to someone who lived near a laurel tree or grove, or someone associated with the laurel plant in some way. The earliest recorded instances of the surname Laurel date back to the 13th century in Spanish records and documents.

In the 14th century, the name Laurel appeared in the historic "Libro de la Montería" (Book of the Hunt), a medieval hunting treatise compiled during the reign of King Alfonso XI of Castile (1312-1350). This suggests that individuals bearing this surname may have been involved in hunting or forestry activities during that time.

One notable early bearer of the Laurel surname was Juan de Laurel, a Spanish conquistador who participated in the conquest of Mexico alongside Hernán Cortés in the early 16th century. He was born around 1490 and played a significant role in the Spanish colonization of the Americas.

In the 17th century, the Laurel surname spread beyond Spain to other parts of Europe and the Americas. Diego de Laurel, a Spanish soldier and explorer, accompanied Pedro Menéndez de Avilés to Florida in 1565 and helped establish the settlement of St. Augustine, the oldest continuously occupied European settlement in the continental United States.

Another prominent figure was Juan Bautista Laurel, a Spanish military engineer and architect born in 1670. He designed several fortifications and military structures in Spain and its overseas territories, including the Castle of San Marcos in St. Augustine, Florida.

As the Laurel surname spread across the world, it took on various spellings and variations, such as Laurell, Lorel, and Laurel, reflecting local linguistic influences and adaptations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laurel

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

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

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

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