Explore the Family Name Lauf

The meaning of Lauf

1. German: habitational name from any of several places called Lauf, Laufen, or Lauffen in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, all names from the Middle High German word loufe ‘rapids’. 2. Jewish (from Austrian Galicia): from the German noun Lauf ‘run’, one of surnames randomly assigned by Austrian clerks. Some characteristic forenames: German Otto, Erna, Heinz, Kurt.

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

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

Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname 'Lauf' has seen a significant shift between 2000 and 2010. In the year 2000, it was ranked 43,290th in terms of prevalence, but by 2010, this had dropped to a rank of 58,876, indicating a decrease of 36% in its popularity. The total count of individuals with this surname also declined from 470 in 2000 to 344 in 2010, which represents a slip of 26.81%. The proportion per 100,000 people with this surname followed this downward trend, going from 0.17 in 2000 to 0.12 in 2010, marking a drop of 29.41%.

20002010Change
Rank#43,290#58,876-36%
Count470344-26.81%
Proportion per 100k0.170.12-29.41%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lauf

When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname 'Lauf', we find that the distribution remained fairly stable between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Throughout both years, there were no reported instances of this surname being linked with Asian/Pacific Islander, Two or more races, Black, or American Indian and Alaskan Native identities. The overwhelming majority of individuals with the 'Lauf' surname identified as White, with 98.51% in 2000 and 97.67% in 2010, showing only a slight decrease of 0.85%. Interestingly, a small percentage emerged in 2010 where 2.03% of individuals with this surname identified as Hispanic, a category that had previously been at 0%.

20002010Change
White98.51%97.67%-0.85%
Hispanic0%2.03%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%