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

Lovell, 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 Lovell surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lovell in America

Lovell is the 1700th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lovell surname appeared 21,171 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 7 people would have the surname Lovell.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lovell 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 Lovell

The surname Lovell is of Norman origin, derived from the Old French word "lovel" or "louvel," meaning a young wolf or a wolf cub. It was likely introduced to England after the Norman Conquest in 1066 by settlers from northern France and Normandy.

The name can be traced back to the 11th century, with early recordings in the Domesday Book of 1086. This ancient record listed individuals with the name Lovell as landowners in various counties across England, including Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, and Norfolk.

One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Ralph Lovell, who lived in the 12th century and held lands in Oxfordshire. Another notable figure was John Lovell, a 13th-century nobleman from Wiltshire, who served as a justice of the King's Bench during the reign of King Henry III.

During the Middle Ages, the name Lovell was also associated with several prominent families and landowners, including the Lovells of Titchmarsh in Northamptonshire and the Lovells of Minehead in Somerset. The latter family's ancestral home, Nunney Castle in Somerset, dates back to the 14th century and was once owned by Sir John Lovell, a knight who fought in the Wars of the Roses.

In the 15th century, Francis Lovell, 1st Viscount Lovell, was a prominent figure in the court of King Richard III. He was a loyal supporter of the Yorkist cause during the Wars of the Roses and played a significant role in the Battle of Bosworth Field in 1485.

Another notable bearer of the name was Robert Lovell, a 17th-century English composer and musician who served as a Gentleman of the Chapel Royal during the reign of King Charles I.

Throughout history, the surname Lovell has also been associated with various place names, such as Lovell's Holm in Yorkshire, Lovell's Hall in Nottinghamshire, and Lovell's Park in Oxfordshire, further reflecting its long-standing presence in England.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lovell

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

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

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

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