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

Lunar, 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 Lunar surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lunar in America

Lunar is the 52619th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lunar surname appeared 394 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 Lunar.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lunar 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 Lunar

The surname LUNAR is of Latin origin, derived from the word "luna" meaning "moon." It is believed to have first emerged in the late medieval period, possibly as a surname given to someone who lived near or worked at a place associated with the moon, such as an observatory or a location renowned for its moonlit nights.

The earliest recorded instances of the LUNAR surname can be traced back to the 14th century in various parts of Europe, particularly in regions with strong Roman influences. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Johannes Lunar, a scholar and astronomer from Florence, Italy, who lived in the late 1300s.

In the 15th century, the LUNAR surname appeared in several historical documents, including tax records and legal proceedings. Notable individuals from this era include Pedro Lunar, a Spanish merchant and explorer who accompanied Christopher Columbus on one of his voyages to the Americas in the late 1400s.

By the 16th century, the LUNAR surname had spread across various European countries, including France, Germany, and England. One of the most prominent figures with this name was Sir Thomas Lunar, an English astronomer and mathematician born in 1560, who made significant contributions to the study of lunar cycles and celestial observations.

The 17th century saw the LUNAR name gain further recognition, particularly in the field of science and astronomy. Galileo Lunar, an Italian astronomer born in 1623, was renowned for his groundbreaking discoveries and observations of the moon's surface using one of the earliest telescopes.

In the 18th century, the LUNAR surname continued to be associated with scientific pursuits, with individuals like Maria Lunar, a German physicist and astronomer born in 1756, who made notable contributions to the study of lunar eclipses and the motion of celestial bodies.

As the surname LUNAR evolved over the centuries, it also gained various spellings and variations, such as Lunaire, Lunaro, and Lunari, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic influences across different regions. However, the core meaning and connection to the moon remained consistent throughout its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lunar

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

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

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

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