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

Loo, 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 Loo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Loo in America

Loo is the 8977th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Loo surname appeared 3,645 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 Loo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Loo 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 Loo

The surname LOO is believed to have originated in England, with the earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "hloo," which means a small hill or mound, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who lived near or on a hill.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LOO can be found in the Hundredorum Rolls of 1273, where a person named John de la Loo is mentioned. This suggests that the name may have initially been derived from a place name, with the prefix "de la" indicating "of the."

In the 14th century, the surname appears in various forms, such as de Loo, de la Loo, and de la Low, reflecting the variations in spelling and pronunciation that were common during that time. The Lay Subsidy Rolls of 1334 recorded a William de la Loo in Oxfordshire, while the Poll Tax returns of 1379 listed a John de la Low in Yorkshire.

During the 16th century, the surname began to take on its more modern spelling of LOO. One notable example is Sir William Loo (1510-1568), a Member of Parliament for Norfolk and a prominent landowner in East Anglia. Another individual of note was John Loo (1550-1612), a clergyman and author who served as the rector of Woodhill in Bedfordshire.

In the 17th century, the LOO surname continued to be found throughout England, with records showing individuals such as Thomas Loo (1620-1685), a merchant from London, and Mary Loo (1650-1715), a Quaker preacher and writer from Gloucestershire.

As the centuries progressed, the LOO surname became more widespread, with bearers of the name found in various parts of the country. One notable figure from the 18th century was Sir John Loo (1725-1789), a wealthy landowner and Member of Parliament for Hythe in Kent.

Throughout history, the LOO surname has been associated with various occupations and social statuses, from landowners and merchants to clergymen and writers. While not a particularly common name, it has left its mark on the historical records of England and continues to be borne by individuals today.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Loo

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

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

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

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