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

Lo, 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 Lo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lo in America

Lo is the 2036th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lo surname appeared 17,687 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Lo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lo 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 Lo

The surname LO originated in China, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 3rd century BC. It is derived from the Chinese word 罗 (luó), which means "gauze" or "silk netting." The name was likely given to those involved in the silk trade or silk production.

In ancient Chinese texts, the name LO can be found in records from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). One notable example is a merchant named Lo Zhi, who lived during the Eastern Han period and was known for his successful silk trading business along the Silk Road.

The name LO spread across various regions of China, with its earliest documented use in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. These areas were historically significant for their silk production and trade routes.

As the name traveled through different regions, it underwent variations in spelling and pronunciation. In some areas, it was written as 罗, while in others, it was written as 螺 or 雒, both of which were homophones for the original character.

During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), a famous poet named Li Bai (701 - 762 AD) had a close friend named Lo Binwang, who was a talented calligrapher and scholar. Their friendship and literary exchanges were celebrated in many of Li Bai's poems.

Another notable figure with the surname LO was Lo Guanzhong (1330 - 1400 AD), a renowned writer and playwright from the Yuan Dynasty. He is best known for his classical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," which is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.

In the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD), there was a prominent military general named Lo Liangcheng (1505 - 1569 AD), who played a crucial role in suppressing various rebellions and protecting the imperial court.

During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912 AD), a famous artist and calligrapher named Lo Ping (1733 - 1799 AD) gained recognition for his intricate and elegant brush strokes, which were highly influential in the development of Chinese calligraphy.

Throughout its history, the surname LO has been associated with various professions, including merchants, scholars, artists, and military leaders, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lo

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

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

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

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