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Lao Family History

Lao Surname Meaning

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 勞 meaning ‘consoling and rewarding’ in ancient Chinese: (i) from the placename Lao Shan (勞山) the name of a famous hill in present-day Shandong province. It was adopted as a surname during the Western Han dynasty (202 BC–25 AD). (ii) from the official post in ancient China who took charge of consoling citizens and provided help for them. Since the Chinese character 勞 had the meaning ‘consoling and rewarding’ they acquired the surname 勞.

Chinese: Mandarin form of the surname 老: (i) from the first element of Lao Tong (老童) title of son of the legendary king Zhuanxu (traditional dates: 2514–2437 BC). (ii) borne by descendants of Lao Dan (老聃) also known as Lao Tzu founder of Taoism. (iii) from Lao (老) the name of a fief (located in Shandong province) granted to grandson of the Duke Dai of Song (ruler of the state of Song reigned 799–766 BC).

Chinese: alternative Cantonese form of the surnames 劉 and 柳. Also Teochew or Hokkien form of the surname 劉. See Liu 1 and Chinese: alternative Cantonese form of the surnames 婁 and 樓 see Lou 1 and Vietnamese: from the Chinese surname 勞 see 1 above.

Catalan (Laó): variant of Llaó itself a variant of Lleó a cognate of Spanish Leo 5.7: Spanish (southern): unexplained.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


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Where is the Lao family from?

You can see how Lao families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Lao family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1880 and 1920. The most Lao families were found in USA in 1920. In 1891 there were 7 Lao families living in Lancashire. This was about 78% of all the recorded Lao's in United Kingdom. Lancashire had the highest population of Lao families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Lao surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Lao ancestors do for a living?

In 1940, Laborer and Seamstress were the top reported jobs for men and women in the USA named Lao. 44% of Lao men worked as a Laborer and 100% of Lao women worked as a Seamstress.

View Census Data for Lao | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

United States shown, England data unavailable

Top Male Occupations In 1940

  • Laborer
    44%
  • Farm Laborer
    19%
  • Farmer
    13%
  • Cook
    13%

Top Female Occupations In 1940

  • Seamstress
    100%

What Lao family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 3,000 census records available for the last name Lao. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Lao census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Lao

Passenger Lists

There are 2,000 immigration records available for the last name Lao. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Lao immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 4,000 military records available for the last name Lao. For the veterans among your Lao ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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You've only scratched the surface of Lao family history

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What is the average Lao lifespan?

Between 1965 and 2004, in the United States, Lao life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1968, and highest in 1976. The average life expectancy for Lao in 1965 was 83, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Lao

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Lao ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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