Lorenzo last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Lorenzo

A patronymic surname of Spanish and Italian origin, derived from the given name Lorenzo, meaning "from Laurentum" or "crowned with laurel."

Lorenzo, 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 Lorenzo surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lorenzo in America

Lorenzo is the 2024th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lorenzo surname appeared 17,825 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 Lorenzo.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lorenzo 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 2024 2643 -26.53%
Count 17,825 12,568 34.59%
Proportion per 100k 6.04 4.66 25.79%

The history of the last name Lorenzo

The surname LORENZO originated in Italy during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Latin name Laurentius, which means "from Laurentum," an ancient city near Rome. The name was also associated with the laurel tree, a symbol of victory and honor in ancient Rome.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname LORENZO can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Cavensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Cava de' Tirreni monastery in Campania, Italy, dating back to the 11th century. The name was particularly common in central and southern Italy, including regions like Lazio, Campania, and Basilicata.

In the 13th century, the LORENZO family was prominent in the city of Florence, where several members held important positions in the government and the arts. One notable figure was Pietro LORENZO, a Florentine painter who lived from around 1230 to 1310 and contributed to the decoration of the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella.

Another notable bearer of the LORENZO surname was Niccolò LORENZO, a Renaissance philosopher and humanist from Padua, who lived from 1429 to 1501. He was known for his translations of ancient Greek texts and his contributions to the study of rhetoric.

In the 16th century, Juan LORENZO, a Spanish explorer and conquistador, was one of the first Europeans to explore the interior of modern-day Venezuela. He led several expeditions between 1530 and 1535, establishing settlements and making contact with indigenous populations.

During the 17th century, the LORENZO family had a presence in the Kingdom of Naples, where they held land and titles. One prominent member was Tommaso LORENZO, a nobleman and military officer who served as the governor of Salerno from 1665 to 1672.

Over the centuries, the LORENZO surname has spread across Italy and beyond, with variations in spelling such as Laurenzi, Laurenti, and Laurentis. The name has also been adopted by individuals of other nationalities, particularly in Spanish-speaking countries, where it has been influenced by the Spanish pronunciation of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lorenzo

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

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 Lorenzo was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 19.68% 3,508
Non-Hispanic Black Only 1.43% 255
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only 9.40% 1,676
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.96% 171
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.78% 317
Hispanic Origin 66.75% 11,898

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 Lorenzo has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 19.68% 27.40% -32.80%
Black 1.43% 1.80% -22.91%
Asian and Pacific Islander 9.40% 10.30% -9.14%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.96% 1.11% -14.49%
Two or More Races 1.78% 1.75% 1.70%
Hispanic 66.75% 57.64% 14.65%

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

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

Reference this page

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Lorenzo last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 5, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/lorenzo-surname-popularity/.

"Lorenzo last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/lorenzo-surname-popularity/. Accessed 5 October, 2024

Lorenzo last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/lorenzo-surname-popularity/.

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