LaVoy last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of LaVoy

A French surname derived from the word "la voie" meaning "the way" or "the path".

LaVoy, 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 LaVoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of LaVoy in America

LaVoy is the 24186th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The LaVoy surname appeared 1,039 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 LaVoy.

We can also compare 2010 data for LaVoy 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.

20102000Change (%)
Rank24186232733.85%
Count1,0391,0221.65%
Proportion per 100k0.350.38-8.22%

The history of the last name LaVoy

The surname LAVOY has its origins in France, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the French word "la voie," meaning "the way" or "the road." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who lived near a major road or traveled frequently.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a document from the year 1567 in the region of Normandy, where a certain Jean LAVOY is mentioned as a landowner. The spelling variations found in historical records include LAVOYE, LAVOIX, and LAVOYS, reflecting the fluid nature of surname spellings during that time period.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the LAVOY name was Pierre LAVOY, a merchant and ship owner from the port city of La Rochelle. He played a role in the trade between France and the West Indies during the early colonial era.

The LAVOY surname also has a connection to the town of Lavoy-sur-Tille in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region of eastern France. It is likely that some individuals with this surname originated from or had ties to this locality.

Other notable individuals with the LAVOY surname include:

  1. Jacques LAVOY (1734-1812), a French military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War as part of the French expeditionary forces.
  2. Marie-Antoinette LAVOY (1789-1865), a French painter and miniaturist known for her portraits of aristocratic families.
  3. Louis LAVOY (1842-1912), a French-born engineer who contributed to the construction of several railroads in the United States during the late 19th century.
  4. Émile LAVOY (1870-1943), a French novelist and playwright whose works explored themes of rural life and social commentary.
  5. Geneviève LAVOY (1915-2001), a French resistance fighter during World War II, recognized for her efforts in helping Allied soldiers escape occupied France.

While the LAVOY surname is not among the most common in France, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, from merchants and military figures to artists and writers.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name LaVoy

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

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 LaVoy was:

Race/EthnicityPercentageTotal Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only84.31%876
Non-Hispanic Black Only0.77%8
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only0.58%6
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native1.35%14
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races2.31%24
Hispanic Origin10.68%111

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

20102000Change (%)
White84.31%87.08%-3.23%
Black0.77%(S)%(S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander0.58%(S)%(S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.35%1.47%-8.51%
Two or More Races2.31%1.27%58.10%
Hispanic10.68%9.59%10.75%

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

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

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