Explore the Family Name Lacroix
The meaning of Lacroix
1. French and Walloon: topographic name from la croix ‘the cross’, for someone who lived near a cross set up by the roadside or in the marketplace, or a habitational name for someone from any of several places in various parts of France and in Belgium (Wallonia) named La Croix or Lacroix. 2. French and Walloon: from la croix ‘the cross’, used as a soldier’s name or as a nickname for someone who carried the cross in church processions. Compare Cross, Lacross, Lacrosse, and Lecroy. 3. French Canadian: altered form of French Lagroix, a habitational name from La Groye, the name of several places in the northwestern part of France. The surname Lagroix is no longer found in France where only a variant without definite article la is registered. History: In North America, this surname was originally also a secondary surname or dit (‘also called’) name, borne by several 17th and 18th-century French Canadians, including Gilles Bourgaud/Bourgault dit Lacroix (see Bourgault) and Mathurin Langevin dit Lacroix (see Langevin). Some characteristic forenames: French Andre, Marcel, Armand, Normand, Lucien, Emile, Pierre, Rosaire, Amelie, Benoit, Edouard, Gabrielle.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lacroix in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Lacroix experienced a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. Ranked 4321 in the year 2000, it slipped to 4436 by 2010, representing a decrease of approximately 2.66%. However, despite this drop in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Lacroix surname increased over the decade from 7606 to 8003, indicating a growth of about 5.22%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,321 | #4,436 | -2.66% |
| Count | 7,606 | 8,003 | 5.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.82 | 2.71 | -3.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lacroix
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Lacroix also saw some changes from 2000 to 2010, as indicated by the Decennial U.S. Census data. The proportion of individuals with this surname who identify as White decreased slightly from 86.09% to 84.48%. Those identifying as Hispanic or Black increased by 41.00% and 19.50% respectively, while the Asian/Pacific Islander category saw a modest increase of 5.13%. The proportion of individuals who identified as belonging to two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native both decreased over the decade, with the former dropping by -17.76% and the latter declining by -11.82%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 86.09% | 84.48% | -1.87% |
| Black | 7.18% | 8.58% | 19.5% |
| Hispanic | 2% | 2.82% | 41% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 2.2% | 1.94% | -11.82% |
| Two or More Races | 2.14% | 1.76% | -17.76% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.39% | 0.41% | 5.13% |
Lacroix 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 Lacroix is British & Irish, which comprises 38.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.4%) and Spanish & Portuguese (7.0%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Nigerian.
Ready to learn more about your ancestry? Get the most comprehensive ancestry breakdown on the market by taking our DNA test. Shop 23andMe
| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 38.1% |
| French & German | 32.4% |
| Spanish & Portuguese | 7.0% |
| Other | 22.5% |
Possible origins of the surname Lacroix
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 Lacroix have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 69.20% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 69.20% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 68.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 67.80% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 67.30% |
What Lacroix 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 Lacroix is R-M269, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-M269 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and R-PF7558, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: House, Bauer, Mayer, Martino, Frick, Keller, Gross, Goodman, Weber, Marino.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lacroix surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343
Your paternal lineage may be linked to Niall of the Nine Hostages
The spread of haplogroup R-M269 in northern Ireland and Scotland was likely aided by men like Niall of the Nine Hostages. Perhaps more myth than man, Niall of the Nine Hostages is said to have been a King of Tara in northwestern Ireland in the late 4th century C.E. His name comes from a tale of nine hostages that he held from the regions he ruled over. Though the legendary stories of his life may have been invented hundreds of years after he died, genetic evidence suggests that the Uí Néill dynasty, whose name means "descendants of Niall," did in fact trace back to just one man who bore a branch of haplogroup R-M269.The Uí Néill ruled to various degrees as kings of Ireland from the 7th to the 11th century C.E. In the highly patriarchal society of medieval Ireland, their status allowed them to have outsized numbers of children and spread their paternal lineage each generation. In fact, researchers have estimated that between 2 and 3 million men with roots in north-west Ireland are paternal-line descendants of Niall.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette
Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.
What do people with the surname Lacroix 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
Chocolate Ice Cream
Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.
"Lacroix" Surname 41.4%
23andMe Users 41.3%
Traits
Misophonia
When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.
"Lacroix" Surname 40.9%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lacroix" Surname 18.2%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lacroix" Surname 23.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lacroix?
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 Lacroix are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition