Explore the Family Name Lenz
The meaning of Lenz
1. German: from a personal name, in which two originally distinct names have fallen together: from a pet form of the personal name Lorenz, and the ancient Germanic personal name Lanzo, which was originally a short form of any of several compound names with land ‘land’ as the first element, e.g. Lambrecht (see Lambert). This surname is also found in France (Alsace and Lorraine), Poland, and Czechia. Compare Lentz. 2. German: in some cases, a nickname from Middle High German lenze ‘spring’ from lang ‘long’, since in this season the days grow longer. The name may also have been bestowed on someone who was born in the spring or who owed rent or service at that time of year, or it may have denoted someone who was of a sunny and spring-like disposition. 3. German: habitational name from any of several places called Lenz. 4. Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Lenz ‘spring’ (see 2 above), one of the class of artificial names adopted from words denoting the seasons. Compare Summer, Winter, Herbst, Fruhling. 5. Germanized form of Polish, Czech, and Slovenian Lenc, a surname of predominantly German origin (see 1 above and Lentz). Some characteristic forenames: German Otto, Erwin, Kurt, Gerhard, Hans, Frieda, Hannelore, Heinz, Helmut, Horst, Aloys, Baerbel.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lenz in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Lenz has seen a slight decline between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked as the 3038th most common surname, while in 2010 it slipped to the 3226th rank, representing a drop of 6.19%. However, the actual count of people with the Lenz surname has increased by 2.29% during the same period, from 10,940 in 2000 to 11,191 in 2010. It's worth noting that the proportion of the Lenz surname per 100k people also decreased by 6.65%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,038 | #3,226 | -6.19% |
| Count | 10,940 | 11,191 | 2.29% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.06 | 3.79 | -6.65% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lenz
The ethnicity distribution of the Lenz surname, according to the Decennial U.S. Census, reveals that there has been a change in its composition between 2000 and 2010. While a majority of people with this surname identified as White (94.62% in 2010, down from 96.12% in 2000), there is an increase in the number identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander (from 0.48% to 0.74%), Hispanic (from 1.77% to 2.58%), and Black (from 0.39% to 0.48%). The proportion of those who identify with two or more ethnicities also saw a noticeable rise from 0.92% to 1.26%, while the percentage of American Indian and Alaskan Native remained consistent at 0.31%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 96.12% | 94.62% | -1.56% |
| Hispanic | 1.77% | 2.58% | 45.76% |
| Two or More Races | 0.92% | 1.26% | 36.96% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.48% | 0.74% | 54.17% |
| Black | 0.39% | 0.48% | 23.08% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.31% | 0.31% | 0% |
Lenz 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 Lenz is French & German, which comprises 37.4% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (34.2%) and Eastern European (9.2%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Ashkenazi Jewish, Spanish & Portuguese, and Indigenous American.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| French & German | 37.4% |
| British & Irish | 34.2% |
| Eastern European | 9.2% |
| Other | 19.2% |
Possible origins of the surname Lenz
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 Lenz have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 70.30% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 70.30% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 70.30% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 70.30% |
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 69.90% |
What Lenz 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 Lenz is E-V13, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup E-V13 is descended from haplogroup E-M96. Other common haplogroups include R-DF88 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Schmidt, Marx, Hoffman, Wolf, Weber, Keller, Meyer, Walter, Schaeffer, Bauer.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lenz surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins E-M96
Your paternal lineage may be linked to early Balkan migrants
Haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a migrated in large numbers from the Balkans into Europe about 4,500 years ago, triggered by the beginning of the Balkan Bronze Age. During this migration, members of haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a mainly followed rivers connecting the southern Balkans to northern-central Europe. Technological leaps often cause lineages to grow dramatically in numbers and in geographic range. The development of Bronze technology may have given men in haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a a competitive advantage over other men, causing haplogroup E1b1b1a1b1a to proliferate and become widespread.
Your 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 Lenz 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.
"Lenz" Surname 51.0%
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.
"Lenz" Surname 22.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lenz" Surname 22.7%
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.
"Lenz" Surname 21.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lenz?
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 Lenz are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition