Explore the Family Name Lawal

The meaning of Lawal

West African (mainly Nigeria, also Niger and Benin): Hausa and Yoruba name, from the personal name Lawal of Arabic origin, used to distinguish the first of two or more sons in a family who have the Muslim name Muhammad.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Lawal has seen a significant increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it was ranked 30,352 in terms of prevalence, but by 2010 it had risen to a rank of 20,529 – a change of 32.36%. Furthermore, the count of people with this surname nearly doubled from 727 in 2000 to 1,292 in 2010, representing an impressive growth rate of 77.72%. The proportion per 100k also increased from 0.27 in 2000 to 0.44 in 2010, indicating a 62.96% rise.

20002010Change
Rank#30,352#20,52932.36%
Count7271,29277.72%
Proportion per 100k0.270.4462.96%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lawal

Regarding ethnicity, the census data shows that the majority of individuals with the surname Lawal identified as Black in both 2000 and 2010, with a slight increase over time (92.98% to 95.36%). Those identifying with two or more races fell by 39.24%, from 3.44% in 2000 to 2.09% in 2010. A small percentage identified as White, with a negligible decrease from 1.65% to 1.63%. Meanwhile, the proportion of Hispanics decreased from 0.83% to 0.62%. There were no recorded individuals with the surname Lawal who identified as Asian/Pacific Islander or American Indian and Alaskan Native in either year.

20002010Change
Black92.98%95.36%2.56%
Two or More Races3.44%2.09%-39.24%
White1.65%1.63%-1.21%
Hispanic0.83%0.62%-25.3%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%