We all have some kind of surname that represents our ancestry, or the origin of our families. That is why everyone needs a surname to give them a shared yet unique identity. If you are also expecting a new family member, you would love to check out our list of the 10 most memorable last names that start with L.
We found some of the most popular and rare last names that anyone can memorize for their whole life for this list. This list is helpful if you are open to some popular last names for your newborn baby. To make it easier, we shared the origin, meaning, and ancestry of these last names.
It will help you know the history of the last name before you go ahead and choose it for your baby.
Top 10 Last Names That Starts With L
We have created a list of the top 10 most popular last names from CocoFinder’s website to give you the credible numbers and meanings of each name.
The list starts with:
1.Lee
Lee is the most popular and memorable last name that starts with L in the United States. The name has its history to the Chinese and Korean communities and traces its ancestry to the Old English Lea. Some people believe that it is an alternative of Leah that stands for Wood or Glade in Buckinghamshire.
There are more than 84161 people in the United States with this surname. However, the name is most popular in California with more than 17,000 people with Lee as their last name. Thus, it is the most memorable last name in the United States of America.
2. Lopez
The second most popular and memorable last name is Lopez, with more than 71,639 people in the US. The numbers increased in the last decade and are most popular in California. The meaning of this name is taken from a personal name Lope that starts with ‘Wolf’ in the Latin language.
It has a Spanish surname and most of the people can trace their ancestry to the same place. The name is still one of the most common surnames in the Spanish community.
3. Lewis
It is an English name that is most popular in Wales. The name is derived from a personal name, Ludovicus, which means ‘Fame War’. The name is still traceable to the Frankish dynasty founder.
If we talk about the popularity of this name in the US, it is considered the third most popular name in the country. More than 65,516 people have Lewis as their surname and it is the top 10 last names in almost all the states of this country.
4. Long
When it comes to memorable names, Long is one of the most common names on the list. The name is recorded more than 35000 times in the US Census and is widely popular in all the states. The people with this surname have an English or French origin and the ancestry traces back to both these places.
The name is used as a nickname for a tall person. Due to the average height of people in Scotland, more and more people with this last name find their ancestry to Scotland only.
5. Larson
Larson is the Americanized form of the Swedish name Larrson. The literal meaning of this last name is ‘Son of Lars’. It has a Swedish origin and all the names share ancestry from the Swedish communities. It is also known as the pet name for Lawrence.
The name is the 5th most popular in the US (starting with L) and accounts for around 26000 people in the country. The community is found mostly in California and Texas.
6. Lara
Lara is a famous last name that is taken from Burgos Province. Thus, it is a habitational name from a famous place and people from different communities can trace their ancestry to the same place. The origin of this name is Spanish and most of the people from the Spanish community are still using it as their surname.
7. Luna
It is another habitational name from a famous place Luna in Zaragoza. The name is Spanish and is taken from a female named Luna. The meaning of Luna is Moon in Spanish and thus signifies the beauty of a person.
The name is quite popular in the US and over 20,110 people have it as their surname.
8. Leonard
Leonard is quite a popular last name in the US and shares its origin with English and French. The name is taken from two words- Leo means Lion and Nard means Brave. Thus, Leonard means Brave Lion and the name is popular throughout Europe.
9. Lyon
Lyon has a mixed origin from the English, Scottish, and French community. It was a nickname for a warrior. However, it is also a habitational name for people living in houses with the sign of the Lion. Thus, the community became popular and now can be found throughout Europe.
The ancestry is shared by the Dutch community as well.
10. Li
Li is a Chinese-originated surname that stands for Minister. It is a part of the title of Gao Yao, who was the great-grandson of emperor Zhuan Xu. The name stands for a Minister because Gao Yao was a famous minister and now the descendants keep Li as their surname for the same reasons.
After the latest survey, Li is the most common surname in China and has more than 19,148 people with the same last name in the United States.
Conclusion
Over the last few years, we have seen a drastic change in the popularity of some last names. Even after these changes, Lee and Lopez are still the most popular last names that start with L. With this information, you can track the ancestry of the above last names easily. However, we recommend tracking the relevant origins as a surname can have different meanings in different languages.
