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

Lavu, 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 Lavu surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lavu in America

Lavu is the 130610th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lavu surname appeared 130 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 Lavu.

The history of the last name Lavu

The surname LAVU has its origins in the small village of Lavau, located in the Rhône-Alpes region of eastern France. The name can be traced back to the 11th century, deriving from the Old French word "lav", meaning a stream or brook, and the suffix "au", denoting a place.

One of the earliest recorded references to the LAVU name is found in the Cartulary of Saint-Claude, a medieval manuscript dating back to 1120. This document mentions a certain Guichard de Lavau, a landowner from the village. Over the centuries, various spellings of the name emerged, including Lavau, Lavault, and Lavaul.

In the 13th century, the LAVU name appeared in the tax records of the nearby town of Bourg-en-Bresse, indicating the family's presence in the region. One notable individual from this period was Jean de LAVU (1225-1289), a respected magistrate and advisor to the Count of Savoy.

The LAVU family spread across France during the Middle Ages, and some members even settled in neighboring regions. In the 15th century, a branch of the family established itself in the Burgundy region, where they owned vineyards and estates. Jacques LAVU (1418-1492) became a renowned vintner and was instrumental in developing the region's wine industry.

As the LAVU name travelled, it also evolved in spelling and pronunciation. In the 16th century, the Lavault spelling was common in the Loire Valley, where Pierre Lavault (1521-1597) was a prominent merchant and financier, known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting local churches and schools.

During the 17th century, the LAVU name gained recognition in the French military. François LAVU (1638-1705) was a skilled cavalry officer who fought in the Wars of the Grand Alliance, earning a reputation for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.

As the centuries passed, the LAVU name continued to spread across Europe, with some families migrating to other countries. In the 19th century, a notable figure was Émile LAVU (1821-1892), a French artist and painter who gained critical acclaim for his landscape paintings depicting the rural areas of his native Rhône-Alpes region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lavu

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

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 Lavu 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.

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

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

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