Explore the Family Name Lentz
The meaning of Lentz
1. German: variant of Lenz and, in North America, (also) an altered form of this. This form of the surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine). 2. Americanized or Germanized form of Polish, Czech, and Slovenian Lenc, a surname of German origin (from a German pet form of the personal name Lorenz; see Lenz). As a surname of Slovenian origin it may also be from a pet form of the personal name Lenart.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lentz in the United States?
The surname Lentz, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, has seen some changes in popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it held the rank of 2248 and by 2010, had slipped to 2396, indicating a decrease in popularity of approximately 6.58%. Despite the slight drop in ranking, the actual count of individuals with the Lentz surname increased by 1.73% from 14,869 in 2000 to 15,126 in 2010. The proportion per 100,000 people also declined from 5.51 to 5.13 during the same period, marking a decrease of about 6.9%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,248 | #2,396 | -6.58% |
| Count | 14,869 | 15,126 | 1.73% |
| Proportion per 100k | 5.51 | 5.13 | -6.9% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lentz
Shifting focus to the ethnic identities associated with the Lentz surname, as outlined in the Decennial U.S. Census data, there has been a notable increase in diversity. Among those who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander and Black, there were minor increases, with the former group rising by 21.74% and the latter by 3.26% between 2000 and 2010. There was also a significant increase among those identifying as Hispanic, with an 85.32% rise. Similarly, individuals identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native saw a 40.62% increase. However, there was a slight decline among those claiming two or more races, going from 1.08% to 1.38%, and those identifying as White, decreasing from 96.14% to 94.64%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.14% | 94.64% | -1.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.09% | 2.02% | 85.32% |
| Two or More Races | 1.08% | 1.38% | 27.78% |
| Black | 0.92% | 0.95% | 3.26% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.46% | 0.56% | 21.74% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.32% | 0.45% | 40.62% |
Lentz 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 Lentz is British & Irish, which comprises 40.6% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (36.4%) and Eastern European (8.1%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 40.6% |
| French & German | 36.4% |
| Eastern European | 8.1% |
| Other | 14.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Lentz
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 Lentz have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 79.60% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 79.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 79.30% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 79.30% |
| West Yorkshire, United Kingdom | 78.70% |
What Lentz 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 Lentz is R-Z209, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z209 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-U152 and I-Z58, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Weber, Schmidt, Becker, Hoffman, Huber, Lutz, Miller, Snyder, Keller, Wagner.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lentz surname are: H1, T2b, 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 Lentz 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.
"Lentz" Surname 49.6%
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.
"Lentz" Surname 30.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lentz" Surname 19.2%
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.
"Lentz" Surname 15.7%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lentz?
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 Lentz are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition