Explore the Family Name Lavender
The meaning of Lavender
1. English: occupational name for a washerman or launderer, Old French lavendier (from Late Latin lavandarius, an agent derivative of lavanda ‘washing, things to be washed’). The term was applied especially to a worker in the wool industry who washed the raw wool or rinsed the cloth after fulling. There is no evidence for any direct connection with the word for the plant (Middle English, Old French lavendre). However, the etymology of the plant name is obscure; it may have been named in ancient times with reference to the use of lavender oil for cleaning or of the dried heads of lavender in perfuming freshly washed clothes. 2. In some cases possibly also Walloon and Flemish: variant of French Lavandier, a cognate of 1 above, or perhaps a nickname from Dutch lavender ‘lavender’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lavender in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Lavender has experienced a slight decline over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Lavender ranked 4340 in popularity with a count of 7576, representing a proportion of 2.81 per 100k people. By 2010, however, its rank fell to 4583 and the proportion decreased to 2.63 per 100k people, marking a change of -5.6% in rank and -6.41% in proportion. Despite this, the actual count of individuals carrying the surname rose by 2.22%, reaching a total of 7744.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #4,340 | #4,583 | -5.6% |
| Count | 7,576 | 7,744 | 2.22% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.81 | 2.63 | -6.41% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lavender
The ethnic identity associated with the Lavender surname has also shifted slightly between 2000 and 2010 according to the Decennial U.S. Census. Individuals identifying as White made up the majority of Lavenders at 72.66% in 2000, but by 2010 this percentage had fallen to 69.86%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Lavenders identifying as Black increased slightly from 22.62% to 23.81%. Notable changes were seen among those identifying with two or more races, which grew from 1.45% to 2.17%, and those identifying as Hispanic, increasing from 1.39% to 2.00%. The proportions of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native Lavenders remained relatively stable, with minor increases from 0.36% to 0.37% and 1.52% to 1.78% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 72.66% | 69.86% | -3.85% |
| Black | 22.62% | 23.81% | 5.26% |
| Two or More Races | 1.45% | 2.17% | 49.66% |
| Hispanic | 1.39% | 2% | 43.88% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 1.52% | 1.78% | 17.11% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.36% | 0.37% | 2.78% |
Lavender 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 Lavender is British & Irish, which comprises 59.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (18.7%) and Eastern European (4.0%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Scandinavian, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Angolan & Congolese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 59.6% |
| French & German | 18.7% |
| Eastern European | 4.0% |
| Other | 17.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Lavender
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 Lavender have recent ancestry locations all within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.30% |
What Lavender 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 Lavender is R-U152, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-U152 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-S1954 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Tait, Funk, Rowley, Millard, Brink, Colby, Kauffman, Camp, Emmons, Shank.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lavender surname are: H1, K1a, 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 Lavender 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.
"Lavender" Surname 34.8%
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.
"Lavender" Surname 23.7%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lavender" Surname 31.5%
23andMe Users 21.1%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lavender" Surname 15.2%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lavender?
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 Lavender are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition