Explore the Family Name Lefevre
The meaning of Lefevre
French and Walloon (Lefèvre): occupational name for a blacksmith or ironworker, Old French fevre, with fused masculine definite article le. One of the most common surnames in France from an early date, coined before the French word for smith, fèvre (from Latin faber ‘maker’), was replaced by forgeron. This surname was also brought to England (in the 16th century by Protestant Walloons and later reinforced by Huguenots from France). It is also established in the Flemish part of Belgium and in Haiti. See also Lefebvre, compare Faver, Lafaver, Lafever, Lefever, and Leffew. History: This surname is listed (in the form Le Fèvre) in the (US) National Huguenot Society’s register of qualified Huguenot ancestors and also in the similar register of the Huguenot Society of America (in the form Le Fevre). Some characteristic forenames: French/Haitian Andre, Emile, Jacques, Joffre, Luc, Adrien, Antoine, Armand, Camille, Eunide, Francois, Germaine.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lefevre in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Lefevre has seen an overall slight decrease in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Lefevre ranked 6106 and had 5179 occurrences. By 2010, despite the count of this surname increasing to 5472, its rank fell slightly to 6245, showing a marginal 2.28% drop in popularity. The proportion per 100k also decreased by 3.12%, further indicating a slight decrease in this surname's prevalence.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,106 | #6,245 | -2.28% |
| Count | 5,179 | 5,472 | 5.66% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.92 | 1.86 | -3.12% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lefevre
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals some interesting shifts within the Lefevre surname bearers between 2000 and 2010. While the majority remained predominantly white, with 92.82% in 2000 and 90.28% in 2010, there was a noticeable increase in individuals identifying as Hispanic or Black. The proportion of those identifying as Hispanic rose by a substantial 51.91%, while Black ethnic identity increased by 49.50%. The figures for Asian/Pacific Islander and those identifying with two or more races also saw small increases (3.33% and 15.57% respectively). Conversely, the American Indian and Alaskan Native group saw a significant decrease by 24.00%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 92.82% | 90.28% | -2.74% |
| Black | 3.03% | 4.53% | 49.5% |
| Hispanic | 1.83% | 2.78% | 51.91% |
| Two or More Races | 1.22% | 1.41% | 15.57% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.6% | 0.62% | 3.33% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.5% | 0.38% | -24% |
Lefevre 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 Lefevre is British & Irish, which comprises 42.1% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (32.0%) and Eastern European (5.6%). Additional ancestries include Spanish & Portuguese, Scandinavian, Italian, Indigenous American, and Finnish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 42.1% |
| French & German | 32.0% |
| Eastern European | 5.6% |
| Other | 20.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Lefevre
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 Lefevre have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 76.40% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 76.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 76.40% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 76.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 75.70% |
What Lefevre 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 Lefevre is R-L2, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L2 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include I-Z138 and R-Z9, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Foss, Hudson, Langley, Ault, Skinner, Upton, Rust, Corey, Theis, Remy.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lefevre surname are: H1, N, 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 Lefevre 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.
"Lefevre" Surname 54.5%
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.
"Lefevre" Surname 31.0%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Vitamin Use
Takes vitamins on a regular basis.
"Lefevre" Surname 38.9%
23andMe Users 45.5%
Wellness
Migraine
A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.
"Lefevre" Surname 16.4%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lefevre?
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 Lefevre are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition