Explore the Family Name Luo
The meaning of Luo
Chinese: 1. Mandarin form of the surname 羅, meaning ‘net for catching birds’ or ‘to collect’ in Chinese: (i) from Luo (羅), the name of an ancient state (located in present-day Hubei province). After it was annexed by the state of Chu during the early Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC), people from the state migrated southwards and adopted Luo (羅) as their surname. (ii) from the Po Duo Luo (破多羅) and Chi Luo (叱羅) families from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China, who changed their original surnames to 羅 during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iii) from the personal name Hu Se Luo (斛瑟羅), leader of an ancient Turkic tribe who are believed to have migrated to China during the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD). His descendants inherited his name Hu Se Luo (斛瑟羅) as their surname and shortened it to 羅 during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (iv) from the name of one of the seven families from the Bandun Man, an ethnic group residing in ancient southwestern China (located mainly in present-day Sichuan province). 2. Mandarin form of the surname 駱, referring to a ‘white horse with a black mane’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the personal name Luo (駱), style name of a prince in the state of Qi (located mainly in present-day Shandong province). (ii) from the name of Da Luo (大駱), a descendant of an official during the Shang dynasty (1600–1046 BC). His eldest son, Cheng, established a state named after his father’s name Da Luo (大駱) (location unknown). After it was annexed by a minority ethnic group in northwestern China during the reign of King Li of Zhou (died 828 BC), people from the state adopted Luo (駱) as their surname. (iii) from the personal name Luo (駱), personal name of a royal member in the state of Zheng (located in part of present-day Shaanxi and Henan provinces) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iv) from the Tuo Luo Ba family (佗駱拔, also written as 他駱拔, 他駱伏, 地駱拔) from the Xianbei ethnic group in northern China, who changed their original surname to 駱 during the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534 AD). (v) a surname of the Tuyuhun ethnic group, originating in the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms (907–60 AD). 3. Mandarin form of the surname 雒, meaning ‘owlet’: (i) said to be traced back to Luo Yao (雒陶), a friend of the legendary Emperor Shun (c.23rd century bc). (ii) from Luo (雒), the name of an ancient state (possibly located in present-day Henan province) during the Spring and Autumn period (770–476 BC). (iii) from the first element of Luo Shui (雒水, literally meaning ‘Luo River’), the name of a branch (located in Shaanxi province) of the Yellow River. Some characteristic forenames: Chinese Wei, Jian, Yi, Ping, Yong, Zhen, Feng, Hong, Ming, Jin, Bin, Chen, Hai, Lan, Min, Huan, Hung, Shen, Tian.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Luo in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Luo has seen a significant increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, Luo was ranked as the 6,291st most popular surname, but by 2010, it had leaped to the 3,564th position. This represents a 43.35% change in rank. Furthermore, the count of individuals with the Luo surname doubled from 4,990 in 2000 to 10,005 in 2010, marking an impressive 100.5% increase. The proportion of Luo per 100k people also escalated by 83.24%, rising from 1.85 to 3.39.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #6,291 | #3,564 | 43.35% |
| Count | 4,990 | 10,005 | 100.5% |
| Proportion per 100k | 1.85 | 3.39 | 83.24% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Luo
When looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Luo, data from the Decennial U.S. Census reveals that it is overwhelmingly Asian/Pacific Islander. In both 2000 and 2010, this group constituted over 97% of those bearing the Luo surname, with a slight increase of 0.54% over the decade. Individuals identifying as two or more races made up 1.04% in 2000, but decreased to 0.68% in 2010. There were small proportions identifying as White and Hispanic, both of which saw decreases of 14.00% and 26.67% respectively. The Black population and American Indian and Alaskan Native group had negligible or zero representation among people with the Luo surname.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 97.05% | 97.57% | 0.54% |
| White | 1% | 0.86% | -14% |
| Two or More Races | 1.04% | 0.68% | -34.62% |
| Hispanic | 0.6% | 0.44% | -26.67% |
| Black | 0.3% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |
Luo 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 Luo is Chinese, which comprises 91.3% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are Chinese Dai (2.9%) and Manchurian & Mongolian (1.3%). Additional ancestries include Korean, Vietnamese, British & Irish, French & German, and Eastern European.
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| ANCESTRY BREAKDOWN | COMPOSITION |
|---|---|
| Chinese | 91.3% |
| Chinese Dai | 2.9% |
| Manchurian & Mongolian | 1.3% |
| Other | 4.6% |
Possible origins of the surname Luo
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 Luo have recent ancestry locations all within China.
| RECENT ANCESTRY Location | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Guangdong, China | 57.10% |
| Jiangsu, China | 57.10% |
| Shandong, China | 56.90% |
| Fujian, China | 56.90% |
| Zhejiang, China | 56.90% |
What Luo 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 Luo 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-F11 and O-P164, which are predominantly found among people with East Asian & Indigenous American and East Asian & Indigenous American ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Wu, He, Chang, Cheng, Xie, Tang, Chen, Wang, Huang, Xu.
The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Luo 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 Luo 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.
"Luo" Surname 21.2%
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.
"Luo" Surname 19.2%
23andMe Users 27.9%
Habits
Sugary Drink
Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.
"Luo" Surname 13.5%
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.
"Luo" Surname 4.5%
23andMe Users 16.4%
Are health conditions linked to the last name Luo?
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 Luo are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition