Explore the Family Name Lovell

The meaning of Lovell

English: nickname from Anglo-Norman French lovel ‘wolf cub’, a diminutive of lou, love ‘wolf’. Compare Love and Low.

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

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

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Lovell has slightly decreased in the United States between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Lovell was ranked as the 1,596th most popular name but fell to the 1,700th position by 2010, marking a 6.52% drop in rank. However, the number of individuals bearing this surname did increase during this period from 20,628 to 21,171, demonstrating a 2.63% growth rate. The proportion of people named Lovell per 100,000 also experienced a slight decline from 7.65 to 7.18, a decrease of 6.14%.

20002010Change
Rank#1,596#1,700-6.52%
Count20,62821,1712.63%
Proportion per 100k7.657.18-6.14%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lovell

In terms of ethnicity, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals a slight shift in the ethnic distribution associated with the surname Lovell between 2000 and 2010. While the majority of individuals with this surname identified as White, decreasing slightly from 89.11% in 2000 to 87.61% in 2010, there were noticeable increases among other ethnicities. The largest growth occurred among those identifying as Hispanic, which rose from 1.63% to 2.26%, a 38.65% increase. Individuals identifying as Black or having two or more races also saw a rise in percentages. The percentage of people who identify as Asian/Pacific Islander and American Indian and Alaskan Native remained relatively stable with minor changes.

20002010Change
White89.11%87.61%-1.68%
Black5.72%6.03%5.42%
Hispanic1.63%2.26%38.65%
Two or More Races1.61%2.18%35.4%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.11%1.12%0.9%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.83%0.8%-3.61%

Lovell 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 Lovell is British & Irish, which comprises 57.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (25.7%) and Scandinavian (3.5%). Additional ancestries include Eastern European, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Nigerian, and Ashkenazi Jewish.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
British & Irish57.3%
French & German25.7%
Scandinavian3.5%
Other13.5%
Lovell

Possible origins of the surname Lovell

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 Lovell have recent ancestry locations all within United Kingdom.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Merseyside, United Kingdom89.90%
Greater London, United Kingdom89.90%
West Yorkshire, United Kingdom89.70%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom89.70%
Tyne And Wear, United Kingdom89.50%

What Lovell 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 Lovell is R-L1066.1, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-L1066.1 is descended from haplogroup R-M343. Other common haplogroups include R-Z30 and R-CTS241, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Shields, White, Adams, Stone, Bowers, Rowe, Dawson, Giles, Edwards, Nicholas.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lovell surname are: T2b, H, H1. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

lovellPaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M343

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.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Lovell 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

Lovell

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Lovell" Surname 43.0%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Lovell

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Lovell" Surname 28.7%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Lovell

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Lovell" Surname 22.9%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Lovell

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Lovell" Surname 18.1%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Lovell?

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 Lovell are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

British & Irish 62.1%

23andMe Users 57.2%