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

Lorentz, 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 Lorentz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lorentz in America

Lorentz is the 11767th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lorentz surname appeared 2,662 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 Lorentz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lorentz 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 Lorentz

The surname Lorentz originated from the medieval German personal name Lorenz, derived from the Latin name Laurentius. This name ultimately traces back to the Roman family name Laurentius, which was derived from the Latin word 'laurus,' meaning 'laurel.' The laurel was a symbol of victory, honor, and poetry in ancient Rome.

Lorentz is a variant spelling that emerged in German-speaking regions, particularly in areas now part of modern-day Germany and Austria. The name first appeared in historical records dating back to the 12th century, with early references found in medieval charters and manuscripts.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Lorentz surname was Henricus Lorentz, a burgher of Cologne, mentioned in a charter dated 1189. Another early record is from the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, which mentions a certain Conradus Lorentz in 1283.

The name Lorentz was also found in the Breviarium Ecclesiae Herbipolensis, a 14th-century manuscript from the city of Würzburg, Germany. This document recorded the names of various individuals, including several with the surname Lorentz.

One of the most notable historical figures with this surname was Hendrik Antoon Lorentz (1853-1928), a Dutch physicist who shared the 1902 Nobel Prize in Physics for his work on the theory of electrons and the influence of electromagnetic phenomena. His contributions laid the foundation for the development of Einstein's theory of relativity.

Another prominent individual was the German painter Hans Lorentz (c. 1527-1583), known for his religious works and portraits. His paintings can be found in various churches and museums across Germany.

In the 16th century, the surname Lorentz was also associated with the town of Lorentzweiler in Luxembourg, which was likely named after an early bearer of the name.

Other historical figures with the surname Lorentz include:

1. Johann Friedrich Lorentz (1723-1807), a German theologian and philologist.
2. Johann Michael Lorentz (1744-1807), a German composer and organist.
3. Christian Lorentz (1797-1865), a German painter and lithographer.
4. Pavol Lorentz (1892-1966), a Slovak painter and graphic artist.

While the surname Lorentz has its roots in Germany and German-speaking regions, it has since spread to various parts of the world, reflecting the migration patterns of its bearers over centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lorentz

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

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

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

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