Explore the Family Name Lau

The meaning of Lau

1. German: nickname for a physically strong person, from Middle High German louwe, lauwe ‘lion’. In some cases the surname may have been a topographic or habitational name referring to a house or inn distinguished by the sign of a lion. Compare Lowe. 2. German: topographic name for someone living in a bush-covered area or clearing, Middle Low German lo, loch, lage, Middle High German lō. 3. North German, Danish, and Dutch: from a vernacular short form of the personal name Laurentius (see Lawrence). Compare Louw. 4. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 劉 and 柳, see Liu 1 and 2. It is also found in Southeast Asian countries, such as the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia. 5. Chinese: Cantonese form of the surnames 婁 and 樓, see Lou 1 and 2. 6. Chinese: alternative Mandarin form of the surnames 勞 and 老, see Lao 1 and 2. 7. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 羅, see Luo 1. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wai, Wing, Kam, Kwok, Ming, Chi, Yuk, Chun, Kin, Ching, Kwan, Man.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Lau has seen a rise in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 1259 amongst all surnames, whereas by 2010, it had moved up to rank 1187, reflecting a change of 5.72 percent. The total count of individuals with this surname also increased from 25,624 in 2000 to 29,792 in 2010, marking an increase of 16.27 percent. Consequently, the proportion per 100,000 people rose from 9.5 to 10.1, a change of 6.32 percent.

20002010Change
Rank#1,259#1,1875.72%
Count25,62429,79216.27%
Proportion per 100k9.510.16.32%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lau

Observing the ethnic identity tied to the surname Lau, as per the Decennial U.S. Census data, reveals that the highest proportion of bearers associate with Asian/Pacific Islander ethnicity. This group represents 76.07 percent of those with the surname Lau in 2010, a slight decrease from 76.56 percent in 2000. Although the majority of people with this surname identify as Asian/Pacific Islander, there are also notable populations that identify as White (16.19 percent in 2010) and Hispanic (3.47 percent in 2010). Other ethnicities such as Black, American Indian and Alaskan Native, and those identifying with two or more races collectively make up less than 5 percent of those with the surname Lau.

20002010Change
Asian/Pacific Islander76.56%76.07%-0.64%
White17.42%16.19%-7.06%
Two or More Races2.97%3.94%32.66%
Hispanic2.73%3.47%27.11%
Black0.21%0.24%14.29%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.1%0.08%-20%

Lau 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 Lau is Chinese, which comprises 60.7% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (7.7%) and French & German (7.2%). Additional ancestries include Chinese Dai, Vietnamese, Japanese, Eastern European, and Korean.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
Chinese60.7%
British & Irish7.7%
French & German7.2%
Other24.4%
Lau

Possible origins of the surname Lau

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 Lau have recent ancestry locations all within China.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Guangdong, China74.70%
Fujian, China70.10%
Zhejiang, China69.80%
Shanghai, China69.30%
Jiangsu, China69.00%

What Lau 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 Lau is O-Page23, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-Page23 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-CTS651 and O-F2137, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Chan, Liu, Chang, Chen, Wang, Ho, Wu, Cheung, Huang, Lai.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lau surname are: F1a1, H, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.

lauPaternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Paternal Haplo Image

Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese

Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.

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 Lau 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

Lau

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Lau" Surname 29.6%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Lau

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Lau" Surname 25.5%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Lau

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Lau" Surname 16.7%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Lau

Migraine

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

"Lau" Surname 10.0%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Lau?

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 Lau 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

Chinese 18.2%

23andMe Users 25.5%