Explore the Family Name Lal
The meaning of Lal
Indian (northern states): from a personal name meaning ‘darling’, from Sanskrit lāla ‘cajoling’ (related to Sanskrit lālana ‘caressing’). In several modern Indian languages lāl is a term of endearment for a child; it is also an epithet of the god Krishna. There is also a homonymous word lāl in Hindi, from Persian, meaning ‘ruby, red’, which may have contributed to the popularity of this name. It occurs commonly as the final element of a compound personal name, as in Brajlal (Braj being the name of the place where the god Krishna is supposed to have lived as a child) and Motilal (Hindi motī ‘pearl’). Some characteristic forenames: Indian Sohan, Madan, Mohan, Tarsem, Ram, Manohar, Anil, Brij, Jagdish, Krishan, Moti.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lal in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname 'Lal' has increased between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, 'Lal' ranked 10,294 in popularity, but this improved to a ranking of 8,288 by 2010, indicating a positive change of 19.49%. The number of individuals with the 'Lal' surname also rose from 2,868 in 2000 to 3,997 in 2010, reflecting an increase of 39.37%. Consequently, the proportion of the 'Lal' surname per 100k people expanded by 28.3% over the same period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #10,294 | #8,288 | 19.49% |
| Count | 2,868 | 3,997 | 39.37% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.06 | 1.36 | 28.3% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lal
Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the 'Lal' surname, the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, with this group increasing from 73.78% in 2000 to 81.24% in 2010. During the same period, the proportion identifying with two or more races dropped significantly by 39.91%, while the percentage of white individuals decreased by 20.14%. The Hispanic population saw a small increase of 6.80%, whereas the percentage of Black individuals remained unchanged. Lastly, the proportion of American Indian and Alaskan Native individuals slightly decreased by 12.12%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 73.78% | 81.24% | 10.11% |
| Two or More Races | 15.86% | 9.53% | -39.91% |
| White | 5.86% | 4.68% | -20.14% |
| Hispanic | 2.06% | 2.2% | 6.8% |
| Black | 1.78% | 1.78% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.66% | 0.58% | -12.12% |
Lal 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 Lal is Northern Indian & Pakistani, which comprises 53.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Bengali & Northeast Indian (14.1%) and Southern Indian & Sri Lankan (13.3%). Additional ancestries include French & German, British & Irish, Gujarati Patidar, Spanish & Portuguese, and Chinese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Northern Indian & Pakistani | 53.0% |
| Bengali & Northeast Indian | 14.1% |
| Southern Indian & Sri Lankan | 13.3% |
| Other | 19.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Lal
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 Lal have recent ancestry locations spanning a few countries, mostly in India, and Pakistan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Uttar Pradesh, India | 27.30% |
| Punjab, Pakistan | 23.90% |
| Gujarat, India | 22.70% |
| Punjab, India | 22.70% |
| Kerala, India | 19.30% |
What Lal 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 Lal is R-Y7, which is predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian ancestry. Haplogroup R-Y7 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-L266 and H-M2716, which are predominantly found among people with Central & South Asian and Central & South Asian ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Verma, Haque, Zaman, Shaikh, Sheikh, Das, Raza, Chowdhury, Rashid, Naik.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lal surname are: M, R30, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of Central & South Asian and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420Your 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.
What do people with the surname Lal 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.
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lal" Surname 14.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lal?
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 Lal are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition