Explore the Family Name Lamb
The meaning of Lamb
1. English: from the Middle English personal name Lamb, a pet form of Lambert. 2. English: nickname for a meek and inoffensive person, from Middle English lamb, or a metonymic occupational name for a keeper of lambs. See also Lamm. 3. Irish: shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Luain ‘descendant of the warrior’, formerly Anglicized as O’Loan (see Lane 3). MacLysaght comments: “The form Lamb(e), which results from a more than usually absurd pseudo-translation (uan ‘lamb’), is now much more numerous than O’Loan itself”. 4. German: variant of Lamm. This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). 5. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surnames 藍 (see Lan 1) and 林 (see Lin 1).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lamb in the United States?
According to data derived from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Lamb has seen a slight shift between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Lamb was the 511th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had dropped to the 561st position, marking a decrease in rank by approximately 9.78%. However, the actual count of people with the Lamb surname increased during this period from 58,555 to 59,913, indicating a growth of 2.32%. The proportion of the surname per 100,000 people also saw a decrease from 21.71 to 20.31, demonstrating a reduction of about 6.45%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #511 | #561 | -9.78% |
| Count | 58,555 | 59,913 | 2.32% |
| Proportion per 100k | 21.71 | 20.31 | -6.45% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lamb
When examining the ethnic identity associated with the Lamb surname based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, there were various changes noted from 2000 to 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander increased by around 20.69%, while those identifying with two or more races grew by approximately 26.28%. The largest increase was seen within the Hispanic community, with a jump of roughly 40.49%. Conversely, the proportion of White individuals with the Lamb surname decreased by about 1.50% and the American Indian and Alaskan Native population saw a slight decrease of roughly 5.26%. The Black community experienced a marginal increase of about 2.01% during this ten-year period.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 87.41% | 86.1% | -1.5% |
| Black | 8.45% | 8.62% | 2.01% |
| Hispanic | 1.63% | 2.29% | 40.49% |
| Two or More Races | 1.37% | 1.73% | 26.28% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.58% | 0.7% | 20.69% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.57% | 0.54% | -5.26% |
Lamb 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 Lamb is British & Irish, which comprises 56.0% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (22.2%) and Scandinavian (4.1%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 56.0% |
| French & German | 22.2% |
| Scandinavian | 4.1% |
| Other | 17.7% |
Possible origins of the surname Lamb
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 Lamb have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 89.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 89.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 88.90% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 88.80% |
What Lamb 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 Lamb is R-DF19, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-DF19 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Barber, May, Weber, Miller, Snyder, Becker, Weaver, Knight, White, Wray.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lamb surname are: H1, T2b, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343Your 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 Lamb 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.
"Lamb" Surname 44.7%
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.
"Lamb" Surname 26.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lamb" Surname 20.1%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Cat Allergy
An allergic reaction to cats, characterized by symptoms such as sneezing, itching, and difficulty breathing.
"Lamb" Surname 34.5%
23andMe Users 36.7%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lamb?
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 Lamb are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition