2000
#2,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 14,534
First available Census row
Per 100,000 5.39
Uncommon Last name
Lo
A Chinese surname meaning "net" or "to collect," or an Italian surname derived from the given name "Lorenzo."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 21,982 Americans carry the last name Lo. That puts it at #1,836 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 6.41 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 15,593 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lo surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Lo with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
22K
1 in 15,593
Census rank
#1,836
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
6.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
19K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 19,169 bearers of the surname Lo in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 6.41 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 1836th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Black (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lo
The surname LO originated in China, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 3rd century BC. It is derived from the Chinese word 罗 (luó), which means "gauze" or "silk netting." The name was likely given to those involved in the silk trade or silk production.
In ancient Chinese texts, the name LO can be found in records from the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). One notable example is a merchant named Lo Zhi, who lived during the Eastern Han period and was known for his successful silk trading business along the Silk Road.
The name LO spread across various regions of China, with its earliest documented use in the southern provinces of Guangdong and Fujian. These areas were historically significant for their silk production and trade routes.
As the name traveled through different regions, it underwent variations in spelling and pronunciation. In some areas, it was written as 罗, while in others, it was written as 螺 or 雒, both of which were homophones for the original character.
During the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD), a famous poet named Li Bai (701 - 762 AD) had a close friend named Lo Binwang, who was a talented calligrapher and scholar. Their friendship and literary exchanges were celebrated in many of Li Bai's poems.
Another notable figure with the surname LO was Lo Guanzhong (1330 - 1400 AD), a renowned writer and playwright from the Yuan Dynasty. He is best known for his classical novel "Romance of the Three Kingdoms," which is considered one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature.
In the Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644 AD), there was a prominent military general named Lo Liangcheng (1505 - 1569 AD), who played a crucial role in suppressing various rebellions and protecting the imperial court.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1912 AD), a famous artist and calligrapher named Lo Ping (1733 - 1799 AD) gained recognition for his intricate and elegant brush strokes, which were highly influential in the development of Chinese calligraphy.
Throughout its history, the surname LO has been associated with various professions, including merchants, scholars, artists, and military leaders, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lo
Among Census respondents with the surname Lo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Black (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lo bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Lo surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander87.5% · 16,781
- White3.8% · 729
- Black or African American3.6% · 697
- Two or more races3.1% · 595
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 358
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lo
Lo appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#2,036
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 17,687
+3,153 bearers (+21.7%)
Per 100,000 6.00
Rank movement Up 256 places
2020
#1,836
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 19,169
+1,482 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 6.41
Rank movement Up 200 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,292 | 14,534 | 5.39 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,036 | 17,687 | 6.00 | +3,153 bearers (+21.7%) | Up 256 places |
| 2020 | #1,836 | 19,169 | 6.41 | +1,482 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 200 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Lo surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,036 | #1,836 | 9.8% |
| Count | 17,687 | 19,169 | 8.4% |
| Per 100K | 6.00 | 6.41 | 6.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lo bearers went from 17,687 to 19,169 (+8.4% change). The surname moved up 200 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,036 to #1,836.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lo
FAQ
Lo surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lo?
Name Census estimates that about 21,982 living Americans carry the surname Lo. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 15,593 residents.
How common is Lo?
Lo ranks #1,836 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 6.41 per 100,000 residents, which is about 6 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 19,169 people with the surname Lo. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (21,982), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 6.41 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 6.41 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 6 of them to have the surname Lo.
Has Lo become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lo went from 17,687 recorded bearers to 19,169. That is an increase of 1,482 (+8.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #2,036 to #1,836.
What does the Census say about the background of Lo?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lo, the largest self-reported group is Asian/Pacific Islander at 87.5%. The next largest groups are White (3.8%) and Black (3.6%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest self-reported group for the surname Lo in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.5% (16,781 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lo appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Asian/Pacific Islander (87.5%), White (3.8%), Black (3.6%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Lo (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Lo mean?
A Chinese surname meaning "net" or "to collect," or an Italian surname derived from the given name "Lorenzo." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Lo (6.41 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people are called Lo?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Lo, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.