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

Love, 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 Love surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Love in America

Love is the 385th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Love surname appeared 82,873 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 28 people would have the surname Love.

We can also compare 2010 data for Love 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 Love

The surname Love is of English origin and is believed to have derived from the Old English word "lufu," which means "love" or "affection." This surname likely originated as a nickname or descriptive name for someone who was perceived as being affectionate or loving.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Love can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which was a comprehensive record of landowners and tenants in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. In this record, there are entries for individuals with the surname Love, indicating that the name was already in use by the late 11th century.

During the Middle Ages, the surname Love was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Suffolk, and Norfolk in eastern England. Some early examples of people with this surname include John Love, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1166, and William Love, who was mentioned in the Curia Regis Rolls of Nottinghamshire in 1199.

Over the centuries, the surname Love has also been associated with various place names, such as Lovelane in Oxfordshire and Loveday in Buckinghamshire. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname in certain regions.

Notable individuals with the surname Love throughout history include:

1. Nicholas Love (c. 1360 - c. 1423), an English Carthusian monk and religious writer best known for his translation of the pseudo-Bonaventuran work "The Mirrour of the Blessed Lyf of Jesu Christ."

2. Robert Love (c. 1608 - 1664), a Scottish Presbyterian minister and covenanter who was executed for his opposition to the religious policies of the Stuart monarchy.

3. John Love (1695 - 1750), a British naval officer and colonial administrator who served as the 14th Governor of Newfoundland from 1743 to 1748.

4. James Love (1770 - 1853), a Scottish architect and civil engineer who designed numerous bridges, harbors, and public buildings in Scotland during the early 19th century.

5. Albert Love (1842 - 1927), an American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the JCPenney department store chain and was actively involved in promoting education and social welfare initiatives.

While the surname Love has a long and interesting history, it is important to note that this report focuses solely on the surname itself and does not cover its use as a first or given name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Love

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

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

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

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