Lo
A short surname found in several cultures, most often linked to southern Chinese family names or, in some places, to shortened forms of other names.
The #2,036 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 17,456 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Lo is a surname that can arise in more than one way, so it does not have a single universal origin. In Chinese usage, Lo is a common romanization of several different surnames, especially forms pronounced in Cantonese and other southern varieties; these may correspond to Mandarin surnames such as Luo or Lu, depending on the character and dialect. In Europe, Lo can also appear as a shortened or simplified form of surnames or place-based names beginning with or containing "Lo-" or "La-", though these cases are less common.
History
In the United States, Lo is most often encountered among families of Chinese heritage, especially those whose ancestral surnames were romanized through Cantonese or related dialects. Because the spelling is very short and can reflect different original characters or source names, the same written surname may have unrelated origins in different families. As a result, genealogical research usually has to begin with language, region, and family history rather than the spelling alone.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
A one-syllable surname like Lo can hide several completely different family histories, because the same Latin spelling may represent different Chinese characters or different European source forms.