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

Lona, 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 Lona surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lona in America

Lona is the 20852nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lona surname appeared 1,265 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 Lona.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lona 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 Lona

The surname Lona has its origins in the Celtic regions of the British Isles and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Welsh word "llon," which means "a meadow" or "a clearing." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near or owned a meadow or clearing in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lona can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a census commissioned by William the Conqueror. The entry mentions a landowner named Leofric de Lona, who held lands in Warwickshire, England.

During the 12th century, the name appeared in various forms, such as de Lona, de Lonas, and de Lone, reflecting the regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. In the 13th century, the name was associated with the village of Lund in Lancashire, England, which was sometimes referred to as "Lona" or "Lune."

A notable figure bearing the name Lona was Sir Thomas de Lona, a Scottish knight who fought alongside Robert the Bruce during the Scottish Wars of Independence in the early 14th century. Another historical figure was William Lona, a merchant and alderman in the city of London during the 15th century.

In the 16th century, the name Lona was found in various records, including those of the Elizabethan era. One example is John Lona, a poet and playwright born in 1565, who was known for his contributions to the English Renaissance literary scene.

Moving into the 17th century, we find references to the Lona family in Ireland, particularly in the county of Galway. One notable member was Patrick Lona, a landowner and military officer who served in the Irish Confederate Wars during the 1640s.

In the 18th century, the name continued to be present in both England and Ireland. One example is Samuel Lona, a British naval captain who served during the Seven Years' War and was noted for his bravery in several battles against the French.

As the surname Lona spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Lonna, Lonah, and Loner. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in its Celtic and medieval heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lona

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

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

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

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