Explore the Family Name Lavin
The meaning of Lavin
1. Irish (Sligo, Roscommon, Mayo): shortened Anglicized form of Gaelic Ó Láimhín, a shortened form of Ó Flaithimhín ‘descendant of Flaithimhín’, a personal name from a diminutive of flaith ‘prince, ruler’. This name is sometimes translated Hand, from the similarity of the shortened form to lámh ‘hand’. 2. Irish (Tipperary): variant of Laffin. 3. English (Cornwall): of Norman origin from an Anglo-Norman French and Middle English female personal name Lavin. It derives either from Latin Lavinia, the name of the second wide of Aeneas in Virgil’s Aeneid or perhaps from a female form of the Anglo-Norman French male personal name Lafin inferred at Laffin. 4. Spanish (Lavín): habitational name from Lavin, a place so named in the Cantabria province. 5. Swedish: from an unidentified first element + the adjectival suffix -in, a derivative of Latin -in(i)us ‘relating to’. 6. French (Somme): perhaps from either of the Old French personal names inferred at 3. This surname is very rare in France. Some characteristic forenames: Irish Thomas Patrick, Eamon, Brendan, Donovan, Kieran, Padraig.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lavin in the United States?
The Lavin surname has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the years, according to data from the Decennial U.S. Census. In 2000, the surname was ranked 5,000th in terms of prevalence but dropped to 5,224th place by 2010, marking a decline of 4.48%. However, the actual count of people with the Lavin surname increased during this period, with 6,435 recorded instances in 2000 and 6,679 in 2010, representing a growth rate of 3.79%. The proportion per 100k also saw a minor dip, falling from 2.39 in 2000 to 2.26 in 2010, a decrease of 5.44%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5,000 | #5,224 | -4.48% |
| Count | 6,435 | 6,679 | 3.79% |
| Proportion per 100k | 2.39 | 2.26 | -5.44% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lavin
The ethnic identities associated with the Lavin surname have shown some shifts between 2000 and 2010, based on the Decennial U.S. Census data. The largest ethnic group remains white, although its percentage has slightly decreased from 88.1% in 2000 to 86.08% in 2010. At the same time, there has been an increase in the percentage of those identifying as Hispanic, rising from 9.20% to 10.85%. A notable change is observed among those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander; their percentage has risen significantly from 0.62% to 1.12%. Minor changes were noted among those identifying as Black, with a slight increase from 0.73% to 0.75%, and those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native, with a decrease from 0.23% to 0.19%. The proportion of individuals identifying as two or more races slightly decreased from 1.12% to 1.00%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.1% | 86.08% | -2.29% |
| Hispanic | 9.2% | 10.85% | 17.93% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.62% | 1.12% | 80.65% |
| Two or More Races | 1.12% | 1% | -10.71% |
| Black | 0.73% | 0.75% | 2.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.23% | 0.19% | -17.39% |
Lavin 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 Lavin is British & Irish, which comprises 48.9% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Ashkenazi Jewish (12.9%) and French & German (12.0%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Eastern European, Italian, Scandinavian, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 48.9% |
| Ashkenazi Jewish | 12.9% |
| French & German | 12.0% |
| Other | 26.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Lavin
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 Lavin have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 71.00% |
What Lavin 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 Lavin is J-M67, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup J-M67 is descended from haplogroup J-M304. Other common haplogroups include R-P311 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Pickens, Piazza, Trujillo, Godinez, Yancey, Vassallo, Wilkie, Porto, Laroche, Cota.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lavin surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins J-M304Your 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 Lavin 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.
"Lavin" Surname 39.7%
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.
"Lavin" Surname 21.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lavin" Surname 19.4%
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.
"Lavin" Surname 14.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lavin?
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 Lavin are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition