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

Loar, 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 Loar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Loar in America

Loar is the 14233rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Loar surname appeared 2,107 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Loar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Loar 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 Loar

The surname LOAR is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "loar," which means "empty" or "barren." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a sparsely populated or desolate area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LOAR surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the Rhineland region of Germany. In a document dated 1287, a certain "Johannes Loar" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Boppard.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the name LOAR appeared in various records and manuscripts throughout the German states, particularly in the areas of Saxony, Bavaria, and the Rhineland. It is likely that the name spread to other parts of Europe as individuals with this surname migrated or traveled.

In the early 16th century, a man named Hans LOAR (1490-1564) gained recognition as a prominent Lutheran theologian and reformer in the city of Nuremberg. His writings and sermons played a significant role in the spread of the Protestant Reformation in Germany.

Another notable figure with the LOAR surname was Johann LOAR (1633-1712), a German composer and organist who served at various churches in the city of Hamburg. His works include numerous sacred and secular compositions, many of which have been preserved and studied by music scholars.

In the 19th century, a German-American family with the surname LOAR settled in the state of Pennsylvania. One of their descendants, Alvin LOAR (1855-1924), became a renowned luthier and is credited with pioneering the design of the modern archtop guitar.

Other individuals with the LOAR surname who have left their mark on history include Hans LOAR (1898-1976), a German businessman and industrialist who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts after World War II, and Elise LOAR (1912-2000), a German-Swiss artist known for her abstract expressionist paintings.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Loar

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

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

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

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