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

Luchau, 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 Luchau surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Luchau in America

Luchau is the 122314th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Luchau surname appeared 141 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 Luchau.

We can also compare 2010 data for Luchau 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 Luchau

The surname Luchau is of German origin, and it first appeared in the northern regions of Germany during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "luh," which means "grove" or "small forest," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or in a wooded area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Luchau surname can be found in the Bremisches Urkundenbuch (Bremen Charter Book), a collection of historical documents from the city of Bremen, dating back to 1350. This record mentions a certain "Henneke Luchau," indicating the presence of this name in the region during that time.

In the 16th century, the Luchau name appeared in various church records and tax registers in the areas around Hamburg and Lübeck, further solidifying its presence in northern Germany. During this period, variations in spelling, such as "Luchouw" and "Luchow," were also documented.

Notable individuals with the Luchau surname include Johann Luchau (1622-1685), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in Lübeck. Another prominent figure was Friedrich Luchau (1785-1868), a German businessman and philanthropist who made significant contributions to the city of Hamburg.

Moving into the 18th and 19th centuries, the Luchau name spread beyond northern Germany, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in other parts of the country, as well as in neighboring regions like Denmark and the Netherlands. For example, Hans Luchau (1765-1842) was a Danish merchant and ship owner based in Copenhagen.

In the 20th century, one of the most well-known bearers of the Luchau name was Karl Luchau (1900-1976), a German actor and director who appeared in numerous films during the 1930s and 1940s. Additionally, Heinz Luchau (1919-2001) was a notable German politician and member of the Bundestag, the federal parliament of Germany.

While the Luchau surname may not be as widespread as some other German surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in the medieval period, when it was likely associated with individuals living in or near wooded areas in northern Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Luchau

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

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

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

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