Explore the Family Name Laura

The meaning of Laura

1. Italian: either from the female personal name Laura, derived from laurus ‘laurel’, or a topographic name from Latin laurea ‘laurel (bush or crown)’. 2. Spanish: possibly a habitational name from Laura in Badajoz province. Some characteristic forenames: Spanish Jorge, Adelio, Efrain, Jaime, Luis, Maria Emilia, Miguel, Ruiz, Sixto, Socorro.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Laura has seen a notable increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname improved from 17,221 to 14,155, indicating a 17.8% jump in its ranking. In terms of overall count, the number of people with the Laura surname increased by 40.07%, from 1,515 individuals in 2000 to 2,122 in 2010. This growth is further reflected in the proportion per 100,000 people, which rose by 28.57% over the decade, moving from 0.56 to 0.72.

20002010Change
Rank#17,221#14,15517.8%
Count1,5152,12240.07%
Proportion per 100k0.560.7228.57%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Laura

In terms of ethnic identity, the Laura surname has shown some shifts between 2000 and 2010, according to the Decennial U.S. Census data. The percentage of people with this surname identifying as Hispanic saw the largest growth, increasing by 36.15% from 21.91% in 2000 to 29.83% in 2010. Conversely, those identifying as White decreased by 14.08% to 58.58%. In addition, while there was no representation of Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000, by 2010, these percentages had risen to 3.72% and 0.33% respectively. The percentage of people identifying as two or more races saw a slight decrease of 16.46%, and those identifying as Black also slightly decreased by 3.86%.

20002010Change
White68.18%58.58%-14.08%
Hispanic21.91%29.83%36.15%
Black6.47%6.22%-3.86%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%3.72%0%
Two or More Races1.58%1.32%-16.46%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0.33%0%