Explore the Family Name Lu
The meaning of Lu
1. Chinese: Mandarin and Cantonese form of the surname 盧, meaning both ‘black’in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Lu (盧), the name of a fief (located in Changqing in Shandong province) granted to Xi, a great-grandson of Jiang Tai Gong or Jiang Ziya (c.11th century bc). (ii) shortened form of the compound Chinese surname Lu-Pu (盧蒲, also written as 蘆蒲), borne by descendants of the Duke Huan of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died 643 BC). (iii) from the placename of Lu (廬), the name of an ancient state (unknown location) prior to the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC). When it was adopted as a surname, the Chinese character 廬 was simplified to 盧. (iv) from the Mo Lu (莫蘆) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China, who changed their original surnames to 蘆 during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD), and later some descendants simplified the Chinese character 蘆 to 盧. (v) from the Tu Fu Lu (吐伏盧) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China, who changed their original surnames to 盧 during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 2. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 蘆, meaning ‘reed’ in Chinese: (i) shortened form of the compound Chinese surname Lu Pu (盧蒲, also written as 蘆蒲), which was borne by descendants of the Duke Huan of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died 643 BC). (ii) from the Mo Lu (莫蘆) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China, who changed their original surnames to 蘆 during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 3. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 魯, meaning ‘slow, clumsy’ in Chinese: from Lu (魯), the name of a state (located mainly in present-day Shandong province) originally granted to Bo Qin, a prince in the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). After the state was annexed by the state of Chu in 256 BC, Lu (魯) was adopted as a surname. 4. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 路, meaning ‘roads’ in Chinese: (i) from Lu (路), the name of an ancient state (unknown location) during the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC), said to be originally granted to Xuan Yuan by the legendary Emperor Yao (c.24th century bc). (ii) from Lu Zi (潞子), the name of a state (located in Changzhi in Shanxi province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). After it was annexed by the state of Jin, the Chinese character 潞 was simplified to 路 and adopted as a surname. (iii) said to be borne by descendants of Qiu Yan, who was a descendant of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). (iv) from the Mo Lu Zhen (沒路真) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China, who changed their original surnames to 路 during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (v) the surname can also be traced back to some families from the Huns (located in ancient northern China) and Shanyue ethnic group (located in ancient southeastern China). 5. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 陸, meaning ‘six’ or ‘land’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the placename Lu Xiang (陸鄉), the name of a fief (located in Pingyuan in Shandong province), said to be originally granted to Lu Zhong, a descendant of the legendary Huang Di, the ‘Yellow Emperor’ (c.27th century bc). During the Warring States period (475–221 BC), the fief was also granted to Tian Tong, the youngest son of King Xuan of Qi (ruler of the state of Qi, died 301 BC). (ii) from the first element of Lu Hun (陸渾), the name of an ancient state (located in Songxian in Henan province) established by a minority ethnic group in northwestern China during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). After the state of Lu Hun was annexed by the state of Jin, Lu (陸) was adopted as a surname. (iii) from the Bu Lu Hu (步陸狐) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China, who changed their original surname to 陸 during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iv) for some families, the surname can be traced back to the Li ethnic group in Guizhou province, as well as the Huns during the Western Han dynasty (206 BC–25 AD). 6. Chinese: variant Mandarin Romanization of the surname 呂 (supposed to be romanized as Lü but the umlaut is often missing in English), meaning ‘pitchpipe’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from Lü (呂), the name of a state (located in Nanyang in Henan province) granted to Lü Hou (呂侯, Marquis of Lü) by Xia Yu, the first king of the Xia dynasty (2070–1600 BC), because of his contributions to controlling floods. After the state was annexed by the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), the name of the state was adopted as a surname. (ii) from the Chi Lü (叱呂), Si Lü Ling (俟呂陵) and some other families, members of the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China, who changed their original surnames to 呂 during the Southern and Northern dynasties (420–589 AD). (iii) from the placename Lü (呂), the name of a fief (located in present-day Shanxi province) which was granted to Lü Xiang (呂相), son of an official who lived in the state of Jin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 7. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 鹿, meaning ‘deer’ in Chinese: (i) from the second element of the placename Wulu (五鹿) (located in Shalu town, Puyang in Henan province), a fief granted to an official from the state of Wey during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) adopted as a surname by the A Lu Huan (阿鹿桓) family from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 8. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 逯, meaning ‘walking freely’ in Chinese: (i) from the placename Lu (逯), the name of a fief in the state of Qin during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) said to be borne by the descendants of the royal families in the state of Chu during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). 9. Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 禄, meaning ‘emolument’ in Chinese: (i) from the first element of the personal name Lu Fu (禄父), style name of Wu Geng, son of Zhou (the last king of the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC)). (ii) from the second element of Si Lu (司禄), the name of an official post the Western Zhou dynasty (1046–771 BC). (iii) from Lu (禄), personal name of the crown prince of King Ling of Chu (ruler of the state of Chu, died 529 BC). (iv) adopted as a surname by the Duo Lu (咄禄) family during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (v) borne by the descendants of Lu Dong Zan (禄東赞) (died 667 AD), chief of the Tibetan Empire. 10. Chinese: variant Mandarin Romanization of the surname 閭 (supposed to be romanized as Lü but the umlaut is often missing in English): (i) shortened form of the compound Chinese surname Lü Qiu (閭丘), borne by the descendants of Lü-Qiu Ying (閭丘婴), an official in the state of Qi during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (ii) from the first element of Lü Shi (閭師), the name of an official post during the Zhou dynasty (1046–256 BC), in charge of taxes. (iii) from the second element of Zi Lü (子閭), style name of Qi, son of King Ping of Chu (ruler of the state of Chu, died 516 BC). (iv) adopted as a surname by the Yu Jiu Lü (鬱久閭) family during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). 11. Chinese: variant Romanization of the surname 廖, see Liao. 12. Vietnamese (Lữ): alternative variant for the Chinese surname 呂 (see 6 above); see also La. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Hong, Wei, Ming, Jian, Min, Ping, Li, Yi, Feng, Ling, Hung, Minh, Nu, Gang, Ha, Muoi, Cheng, Chi, Hoa, Tan, Cuong, Ha To, Dung, Hai, Lan, Chung, Phong, Tuong, Tam, Chang, Manh, Shen, Tian, Tinh, You, Chong.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Lu in the United States?
Based on the data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname "Lu" has significantly increased between 2000 and 2010. The rank of this surname rose from 1,424 in 2000 to 978 in 2010, an impressive leap of approximately 31.32%. In terms of absolute numbers, the count of people with the surname "Lu" grew from 22,977 to 35,628 in the same period, marking a substantial increase of about 55.06%. The proportion per 100,000 people also went up by 41.78%, from 8.52 in 2000 to 12.08 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #1,424 | #978 | 31.32% |
| Count | 22,977 | 35,628 | 55.06% |
| Proportion per 100k | 8.52 | 12.08 | 41.78% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Lu
In regards to ethnicity, the Decennial U.S. Census data shows that the majority of individuals with the surname "Lu" identified as Asian/Pacific Islander, with a barely noticeable change over the decade (95.73% in 2000 to 95.74% in 2010). The percentage of people identifying as two or more races decreased slightly from 1.72% to 1.43%. There was a slight increase in those who identified as White (from 1.65% to 1.77%) and Hispanic (0.63% to 0.69%), while those who identified as Black experienced a relatively large increase from 0.22% to 0.36%. However, there was a significant decrease in the percentage of individuals who identify as American Indian and Alaskan Native, from 0.06% in 2000 to 0.02% in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 95.73% | 95.74% | 0.01% |
| White | 1.65% | 1.77% | 7.27% |
| Two or More Races | 1.72% | 1.43% | -16.86% |
| Hispanic | 0.63% | 0.69% | 9.52% |
| Black | 0.22% | 0.36% | 63.64% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.06% | 0.02% | -66.67% |
Lu 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 Lu is Chinese, which comprises 83.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Vietnamese (5.5%) and Korean (2.3%). Additional ancestries include Manchurian & Mongolian, Chinese Dai, Filipino & Austronesian, British & Irish, and French & German.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 83.3% |
| Vietnamese | 5.5% |
| Korean | 2.3% |
| Other | 9.0% |
Possible origins of the surname Lu
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 Lu have recent ancestry locations in China and Taiwan.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 39.70% |
| Zhejiang, China | 39.20% |
| Jiangsu, China | 39.10% |
| Shandong, China | 39.00% |
| Fujian, China | 39.00% |
What Lu 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 Lu is O-F8, which is predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Haplogroup O-F8 is descended from haplogroup O-M1359. Other common haplogroups include O-F46 and O-CTS2498, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wang, Wu, Chen, Zhang, Xu, Li, Huang, Zhu, Chang, Tan.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Lu surname are: F1a1, D4, M7b. These most commonly trace back to individuals of East Asian & Indigenous American and European ancestry.
Paternal Haplogroup Origins O-M1359
Your paternal lineage may be linked to the Han Chinese
Haplogroup O-Page23 has been found in several populations of the Han Chinese ethnic group. The ancestors of the Han, called the Huaxia, lived in the upriver basin of the Yellow River 5,000-6,000 years ago. As agricultural technology improved, the Huaxia spread east and south, and became the Han Chinese. Over the last 2,000 years, there have been three major migrations of the Han southward. The first of these migrations occurred during the Jin Dynasty from 317 to 420 CE, when nearly one million people moved south. A second migration occurred during the Tang Dynasty, after the An-Shi Rebellion, between 755 and 762 CE. The last migration occurred during the Southern Song Dynasty, from 1127 to 1297 CE, when nearly 5 million people migrated southward. The Pinghua, a branch of Han in which haplogroup O2a2b1a1 is particularly common, may be descendants of indigenous minority groups that adopted Han culture during one such major migration event.
Your maternal lineage may be linked to the ancient people of the Indian subcontinent
While Haplogroup M is widespread throughout South and East Asia, it is more diverse on the Indian sub-continent than anywhere else in the world. The high degree of diversity of M in India is likely tied to its ancient arrival here nearly 50,000 years ago. In addition to M2, which is found throughout the subcontinent, there are dozens of haplogroups branching off of M that exist in India. These branches are often connected to specific regions, tribes, or ethnic groups. For example, haplogroup M18 is found among the Oraon peoples of eastern India and Bangladesh, while haplogroup M41 is common among the Pardhan speakers of eastern India, and haplogroup M31a can be found on the Andaman Islands, just off the southeast coast of India.
What do people with the surname Lu 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.
"Lu" Surname 34.4%
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.
"Lu" Surname 24.1%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Lu" Surname 14.2%
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.
"Lu" Surname 5.1%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Lu?
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 Lu are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition