Explore the Family Name Lovelace
The meaning of Lovelace
English: variant of Loveless. The spelling is apparently theresult of folk etymology, which understood the word as a nickname fora dandy fond of lace. The modern sense of this word is, however, not attested until the 16th century and at the time of surname formation it meant only ‘cord’ or ‘shoelace’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lovelace in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Lovelace has seen slight changes in its popularity from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, Lovelace was ranked as the 2478th most popular surname, but by 2010, it had slipped to 2613th, marking a decrease of 5.45%. However, despite this slip in rank, the actual count of individuals with the Lovelace surname increased by 3.2%, from 13,359 in 2000 to 13,787 in 2010. This suggests that while other surnames may have grown more common, the number of people named Lovelace has not decreased, but rather slightly increased.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,478 | #2,613 | -5.45% |
| Count | 13,359 | 13,787 | 3.2% |
| Proportion per 100k | 4.95 | 4.67 | -5.66% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lovelace
The ethnic identity associated with the surname Lovelace also experienced shifts during the same decade, according to the Decennial U.S. Census. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White—73.07% in 2000 and 70.22% in 2010—there were noticeable increases in those identifying as Hispanic and those claiming two or more races. The percentage of Lovelaces identifying as Hispanic rose from 1.42% in 2000 to 2.31% in 2010, a 62.68% change. Likewise, those identifying with two or more races increased from 1.65% to 2.63%. Meanwhile, the percentage of Black Lovelaces saw a modest increase of 4.10%. The proportions of Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native Lovelaces remained relatively stable.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 73.07% | 70.22% | -3.9% |
| Black | 22.7% | 23.63% | 4.1% |
| Two or More Races | 1.65% | 2.63% | 59.39% |
| Hispanic | 1.42% | 2.31% | 62.68% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.76% | 0.76% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.4% | 0.44% | 10% |
Lovelace 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 Lovelace is British & Irish, which comprises 54.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (23.7%) and Scandinavian (3.3%). Additional ancestries include Nigerian, Eastern European, Ghanaian, Liberian & Sierra Leonean, Italian, and Spanish & Portuguese.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 54.8% |
| French & German | 23.7% |
| Scandinavian | 3.3% |
| Other | 18.3% |
Possible origins of the surname Lovelace
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 Lovelace have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 86.20% |
| Glasgow City, United Kingdom | 85.80% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
| Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom | 85.40% |
What Lovelace 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 Lovelace 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 R-M467 and R-U152, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Granger, Langley, Cash, Rounds, Stump, Etheridge, Foss, Headley, Ramey, Hoyle.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lovelace surname are: M, H1, 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 Lovelace 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.
"Lovelace" Surname 42.3%
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.
"Lovelace" Surname 27.8%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lovelace" Surname 22.5%
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.
"Lovelace" Surname 19.9%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lovelace?
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 Lovelace are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition