Explore the Family Name Lah
The meaning of Lah
1. Slovenian: from Lah, an ethnic name denoting a person of Italian origin and a Croatian or Serbian refugee from the Turks (i.e. the Ottoman Empire) in the 15th and 16th centuries; it is a younger form of the ethnic name Vlah ‘Vlach, Wallachian, Aromanian’, originally denoting a foreign person in general (see Vlach). Compare Lasich 3 and 4. 2. Burmese (Karen): from a personal name usually forming part of a compound name, from lah ‘moon’ or from a homonym meaning ‘green’. — Note: Since Karens do not have hereditary surnames, this name was registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 3. West African (mainly Mali): unexplained.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lah in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Lah' rose markedly between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 67,725th in popularity and had a count of 272, but by 2010, it had climbed to rank 42,937 with a count of 504. This represents an impressive increase of 36.6% in rank and 85.29% in count in just a decade. The proportion of people named Lah per 100,000 also grew from 0.1 to 0.17, marking a 70% surge.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #67,725 | #42,937 | 36.6% |
| Count | 272 | 504 | 85.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.1 | 0.17 | 70% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lah
The ethnicity data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census shows changes in the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Lah'. In 2000, 61.4% of people with this surname identified as White, but by 2010, this fell to 35.71%, representing a decrease of 41.84%. On the other hand, those identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased significantly from 34.19% in 2000 to 55.75% in 2010, a change of 63.06%. The percentage of people with the Lah surname who identified as Hispanic saw a modest rise from 1.84% to 2.18%, an increase of 18.48%. Meanwhile, those identifying as Black saw a substantial increase, jumping from 2.21% to 5.95%, marking a 169.23% escalation. There were no individuals who identified as having two or more races or as American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 34.19% | 55.75% | 63.06% |
| White | 61.4% | 35.71% | -41.84% |
| Black | 2.21% | 5.95% | 169.23% |
| Hispanic | 1.84% | 2.18% | 18.48% |
| Two or More Races | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |