Explore the Family Name Loy
The meaning of Loy
1. German, Dutch, and French: from a shortened form of the medieval personal name Eloy, from Latin Eligius (see Eligio), a Christian saint’s name. 2. German: habitational name from Loy in Oldenburg. 3. Italian (Sardinia): variant of Loi. 4. Spanish: from a shortened form of the French personal name Eloy (see 1 above). 5. French (Picardy): nickname from loi ‘law’, for someone who was quick to have recourse to the law, a frequent or vexatious litigant. 6. Chinese: variant of Loi. 7. Chinese: possibly from Cantonese form of the Chinese name 雷 (meaning ‘thunder’) or 來 (meaning ‘come’), a monosyllabic personal name or part of a disyllabic personal name of some early Chinese immigrants in the US.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Loy in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Loy saw a slight increase in count but decreased in rank from 2000 to 2010. The count, or the number of people bearing the Loy surname, rose slightly by 1.59%, from 8729 in 2000 to 8868 in 2010. However, the ranking of the surname decreased by 7.4% over the same decade, moving from 3730th place to 4006th. This suggests that while the absolute number of people named Loy increased, other surnames grew at a faster rate.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #3,730 | #4,006 | -7.4% |
| Count | 8,729 | 8,868 | 1.59% |
| Proportion per 100k | 3.24 | 3.01 | -7.1% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Loy
In terms of ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals several shifts between 2000 and 2010. There was a slight increase in the proportion of individuals with the Loy surname identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander, and those reporting two or more races both saw significant increases - 6.58% and 50.41% respectively. The percentage of individuals identifying their ethnicity as White decreased by 2.09%, while the Hispanic representation increased by 25.31%. Those identifying as Black and American Indian and Alaskan Native both saw small decreases, dropping by 5.32% and 3.57% respectively.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 88.53% | 86.68% | -2.09% |
| Hispanic | 4.07% | 5.1% | 25.31% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 4.41% | 4.7% | 6.58% |
| Two or More Races | 1.21% | 1.82% | 50.41% |
| Black | 0.94% | 0.89% | -5.32% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.84% | 0.81% | -3.57% |
Loy 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 Loy is British & Irish, which comprises 52.5% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are French & German (29.0%) and Eastern European (3.7%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Chinese, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, and Ashkenazi Jewish.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| British & Irish | 52.5% |
| French & German | 29.0% |
| Eastern European | 3.7% |
| Other | 14.9% |
Possible origins of the surname Loy
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 Loy have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Greater Manchester, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| West Midlands, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| Merseyside, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| Lancashire, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
| Greater London, United Kingdom | 87.40% |
What Loy 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 Loy 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 R-M405, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Maness, Wenger, Mcvay, Benoit, Huddleston, Shelby, Nadeau, Sledge, Burke, Ruggles.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Loy 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 Loy 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.
"Loy" Surname 38.7%
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.
"Loy" Surname 26.4%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Loy" Surname 26.3%
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.
"Loy" Surname 16.0%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Loy?
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 Loy are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition