Explore the Family Name La

The meaning of La

1. Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 羅, see Luo 1. 2. Vietnamese (Lã): from the Chinese surname 呂, see Lu 6 and 3 below. 3. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 呂, see Lu 6. Some characteristic forenames: Vietnamese Hung, Cuong, Anh, Thanh, Ha, Hoang, Tuan, Chau, Hao, Hien, Hoa, Hue, Nam, Phong, Sinh, Tuong, Min, Tam, Tanh, Thai, Tham, Tinh, Yeong. Chinese Hong, Hang, Sang, Tong, Chan, Chi, Hwa Ja, Hyung, Kam, Ki Bong, Kin, Man.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name La in the United States?

The surname "La" has seen a notable increase in popularity from 2000 to 2010, according to data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, it was ranked 6,408, but by 2010, it had risen significantly in rank to 5,242, marking an 18.2% change. The count of individuals with this surname also grew during this time period from 4,892 to 6,655, indicating a 36.04% growth. The proportion per 100,000 people increased by 24.86%, moving from 1.81 to 2.26.

20002010Change
Rank#6,408#5,24218.2%
Count4,8926,65536.04%
Proportion per 100k1.812.2624.86%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name La

Regarding the ethnic identity tied to the surname "La", data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, although this percentage slightly decreased from 90.78% in 2000 to 88.91% in 2010. The representation of other ethnicities among those carrying the surname also shifted during this decade. The percentage identifying as White or Black both saw increases, going up to 6.00% and 0.99% respectively. There was a significant rise in the Hispanic community, which saw an increase of 92.31%, reaching 2.25% in 2010. Those identifying as two or more races also rose slightly to 1.76%. Conversely, the American Indian and Alaskan Native category saw a decrease of 25%, going down to 0.09%.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander90.78%88.91%-2.06%
White5.42%6%10.7%
Hispanic1.17%2.25%92.31%
Two or More Races1.61%1.76%9.32%
Black0.9%0.99%10%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.12%0.09%-25%

La ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname La is Vietnamese, which comprises 36.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese (32.2%) and British & Irish (5.2%). Additional ancestries include Korean, Chinese Dai, French & German, Spanish & Portuguese, and Eastern European.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Vietnamese36.0%
Chinese32.2%
British & Irish5.2%
Other26.6%
La

Possible origins of the surname La

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name La have recent ancestry locations in China and Vietnam.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Guangdong, China58.10%
Jiangsu, China57.40%
Zhejiang, China57.40%
Fujian, China56.60%
Shandong, China55.80%

What La haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname La is O-F1252, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F1252 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F450 and O-Z23266, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Zwick, Derry, Pereyra, Desalvo, Peraza, Deschamps, De Silva, Peppers, Desjardins, Desmarais.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with La surname are: H, R, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.

laPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to many Indian ethnic groups

Haplogroup O1b1a1a is thought to have arisen in India, roughly 25,000 to 40,000 years ago, and is present in many Indian ethnic groups today. The Indian subcontinent holds four major language groups, called Austro-Asiatic, Dravidian, Indo-European, and Tibeto-Burman. Haplogroup O-M95 likely originated in Indian Austro-Asiatic populations. Its early members carried both the O1-M95 haplogroup and Austro-Asiatic languages further into Southeast Asia through the Northeast Indian corridor. Current research suggests migrating members of O-M95 left eastern India traveling east, through Myanmar, southern China, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand, and ended in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. One study found that 100% of a Nicobar Island population belonged to haplogroup O-M95.

Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent

While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname La have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

La

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"La" Surname 22.2%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

La

Cheek Dimples

Small indentations that appear on the cheeks when a person smiles.

"La" Surname 35.3%

23andMe Users 37.6%

Habits

La

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"La" Surname 26.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

La

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"La" Surname 8.1%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name La?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname La are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

ε4 variant

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by memory loss, cognitive decline, and personality changes. Late-onset Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of Alzheimer's disease, developing after age 65. Many factors, including genetics, can influence a person's chances of developing the condition. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the most common genetic variant associated with late-onset Alzheimer's disease: the ε4 variant in the APOE gene. Learn more about Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease

Vietnamese 20.4%

23andMe Users 25.5%