Updated January 23, 2020

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Family name origins & meanings

  • German : nickname for a physically strong person, from Middle High German louwe, lauwe ‘lion’. In some cases the surname may have been originally from a house sign.
  • North German : topographic name for someone living in a bush-covered area or clearing, Middle Low German lo, loch, lage.
  • North German and Dutch : from a vernacular short form of the personal name Laurentius (see Lawrence).
  • Dutch : nickname from Middle Dutch laeu ‘lazy’, ‘indifferent’, ‘faint-hearted’.
  • Chinese : Cantonese form of Liu 1.
  • Chinese : Cantonese form of Liu 3.
  • Chinese : variant of Lao 2.