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

Lovejoy, 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 Lovejoy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lovejoy in America

Lovejoy is the 4249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lovejoy surname appeared 8,351 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Lovejoy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lovejoy 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 Lovejoy

The surname Lovejoy is an English name that originated in the 12th century. It is derived from the Old French words "l'ovejoi," which translate to "the joy of the wolf." This name was likely given to someone who lived near a den of wolves or was associated with wolves in some way.

The earliest recorded use of the name Lovejoy dates back to 1189 in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire. These rolls were financial records kept by the English Exchequer during the reign of King Richard I. The name appears as "Lovejoy de Barnsley," suggesting that the individual was from the town of Barnsley.

In the 13th century, the name Lovejoy appeared in the Hundredorum Rolls, which were records of landowners in England. These rolls mention a "William Lovejoy" who owned land in the county of Berkshire.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Lovejoy was Sir John Lovejoy (c. 1320-1395). He was a knight and landowner from the village of Lovejoy in Oxfordshire. This village likely took its name from the surname and was recorded in the Domesday Book of 1086 as "Loveioie."

During the 16th century, the name Lovejoy underwent various spelling changes, including "Lovejoye," "Lovejoie," and "Loveioye." One notable bearer of the name from this period was Thomas Lovejoy (c. 1550-1625), a merchant and alderman in the city of Bristol.

In the 17th century, the name Lovejoy spread to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname in the New World was John Lovejoy (c. 1635-1677), who settled in the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1635.

Another notable figure with the surname Lovejoy was Elijah Parish Lovejoy (1802-1837), an American Presbyterian minister and abolitionist. He was killed by a pro-slavery mob while defending his printing press in Alton, Illinois, becoming a martyr in the anti-slavery movement.

Other individuals with the surname Lovejoy who have left their mark throughout history include:

1. Frank Lovejoy (1912-1962), an American actor known for his roles in film noir and television.
2. Esther Lovejoy (1869-1967), an American physician and one of the first female medical school professors in the United States.
3. Owen Lovejoy (1811-1864), an American lawyer and influential abolitionist who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives.
4. Richard Lovejoy (c. 1590-1673), an English clergyman and one of the founding settlers of the town of Andover, Massachusetts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lovejoy

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

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

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

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