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

Loss, 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 Loss surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Loss in America

Loss is the 21960th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Loss surname appeared 1,182 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 Loss.

We can also compare 2010 data for Loss 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 Loss

The surname "LOSS" is believed to have originated in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It dates back to the 12th century and is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "losa," which translates to "hollow" or "cavity."

This surname was likely given to someone who lived near a hollow or depression in the landscape, or perhaps someone who worked in a quarry or mine. The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in medieval records from the Bavarian region, with various spellings such as "Lossen," "Losse," and "Lossner."

One of the earliest known bearers of this surname was Heinrich Lossen, a landowner and farmer who lived in the village of Murnau, Bavaria, in the late 13th century. Another notable figure was Johann Losse, a merchant from Augsburg who was mentioned in trade records from the 1400s.

In the 16th century, the name appeared in the records of the Protestant Reformation, with a minister named Matthias Loss serving in the city of Nuremberg. During this time, the spelling "Loss" became more standardized.

As the name spread beyond Bavaria, it can be found in various historical documents throughout Germany and neighboring regions. For instance, the Lossner family was prominent in the city of Mainz in the 17th century, with several members serving as respected craftsmen and tradesmen.

Towards the end of the 18th century, the name made its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. One notable bearer was Johann Christoph Loss, a German-born settler who established a successful farm in Pennsylvania, United States, in the late 1700s.

Other notable individuals with the surname Loss include:

1. Friedrich Loss (1808-1885), a German historian and author from Saxony.
2. Katharina Loss (1877-1959), an Austrian painter and illustrator known for her landscape works.
3. Otto Loss (1879-1961), a German engineer and inventor who contributed to the development of early aircraft designs.
4. Hans Loss (1891-1976), a Swiss architect renowned for his modernist buildings in Zurich.
5. Theodor Loss (1903-1988), a German-born American composer and music educator who taught at various universities in the United States.

While the surname Loss is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and can be traced back to its origins in the medieval Bavarian region of Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Loss

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

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

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

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