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

Lauritsen, 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 Lauritsen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lauritsen in America

Lauritsen is the 20010th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lauritsen surname appeared 1,338 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 Lauritsen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lauritsen 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 Lauritsen

The surname Lauritsen originated in Denmark, with its earliest recordings dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Danish personal name "Laurits," which is a variant of the name "Laurentius," the Latinized form of the Greek name "Laurentios." This name ultimately traces its roots back to the Latin word "laurus," meaning "laurel."

Lauritsen is a patronymic surname, meaning it was originally formed by adding the suffix "-sen" (meaning "son of") to the personal name Laurits. This naming convention was common in Scandinavian countries, where surnames often indicated the father's name or occupation.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Lauritsen surname was Hans Lauritsen, a Danish clergyman who lived in the late 16th century. He served as a pastor in the town of Ribe, which was an important ecclesiastical center in medieval Denmark.

Another notable figure was Peder Lauritsen Tordenskiold (1691-1720), a Danish naval officer and national hero. He earned fame for his daring exploits during the Great Northern War against Sweden, where he led a series of successful raids and naval engagements.

In the 18th century, the Lauritsen name appeared in several historical records related to the Danish town of Skagen. One such record mentions a merchant named Christen Lauritsen, who was involved in the town's thriving fishing industry.

The name has also been associated with the Danish island of Læsø, where a family of shipbuilders and seafarers carried the Lauritsen surname for generations. One member of this family, Jens Lauritsen (1798-1876), was a renowned shipbuilder and captain who sailed extensively throughout the Baltic Sea region.

Another notable bearer of the name was Carl Emil Lauritsen (1860-1927), a Danish-American architect who designed several prominent buildings in Los Angeles, including the Bradbury Building and the Watts Towers.

Over time, the Lauritsen surname has spread beyond Denmark to other parts of Scandinavia and the world, carried by emigrants and descendants of Danish families. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name continues to be associated with its Danish heritage and the rich maritime history of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lauritsen

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

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

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

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