2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lavo
A Hungarian surname likely derived from a nickname meaning "flat" or "broad".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Lavo. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lavo 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Lavo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lavo
The surname LAVO is of Italian origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century in the region of Tuscany. It is believed to have derived from the Latin word "lavare," meaning "to wash" or "to bathe." This connection suggests that the name may have originally been associated with occupations related to laundry or bathing services.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LAVO surname can be found in the historic city of Florence, where a certain Gianni LAVO was documented as a wool merchant in the year 1387. The LAVO family was known to be involved in the flourishing textile trade of the time, which was a significant economic driving force in the region.
During the Renaissance period, the name LAVO gained prominence in the arts and literature. Notably, Sebastiano LAVO (1490-1560) was a renowned painter and sculptor from Siena, renowned for his works in churches and cathedrals across Italy. His masterpieces included the stunning frescoes adorning the Basilica of San Clemente in Rome.
In the 17th century, the LAVO family expanded its reach beyond Italy. Historical records indicate that a branch of the family settled in Spain, where the name was adapted to the spelling "Labo." One notable figure from this lineage was Diego LABO (1620-1687), a Spanish military commander who played a crucial role in the Siege of Barcelona during the Franco-Spanish War.
As the LAVO name spread across Europe, it also found its way to France, where it was sometimes spelled as "Lavaud." Jean-Baptiste LAVAUD (1776-1842) was a French naval officer and admiral who distinguished himself during the Napoleonic Wars, commanding several notable naval campaigns against the British.
Another prominent individual bearing the LAVO surname was Giuseppe LAVO (1825-1891), an Italian philosopher and theologian from Naples. His works on metaphysics and the relationship between science and religion garnered widespread acclaim during his lifetime.
While the surname LAVO may have originated from humble beginnings, it has left an indelible mark on history through the contributions of its bearers in various fields, spanning the arts, military, and academia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lavo
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (6.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lavo 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 Lavo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 9
- Two or more races6.6% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lavo
Lavo 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+16 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,425 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-15 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 4,425 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 15,291 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 Lavo 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 | #126,018 | #141,309 | -12.1% |
| Count | 136 | 121 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lavo bearers went from 136 to 121 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 15,291 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #141,309.
FAQ
Lavo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lavo?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Lavo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Lavo?
Lavo ranks #141,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 121 people with the surname Lavo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Lavo.
Has Lavo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lavo went from 136 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Lavo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lavo, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (6.6%). 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?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lavo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lavo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Hispanic (7.4%), Two or More Races (6.6%). 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 Lavo (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 Lavo mean?
A Hungarian surname likely derived from a nickname meaning "flat" or "broad". 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 Lavo (0.04 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 people share the surname Lavo?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.