Lohr
A name that may be a shortened German form of older names such as Lothar or a related personal name.
The #5,348 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 47,456 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The surname Lohr is likely German in origin, but the historical evidence is not fully secure. In older surname discussions it has been treated as a shortened form of a longer personal name, especially one ending in -hr or -ar, with Lothar often suggested as a possibility. Because the excerpted material is speculative rather than definitive, the safest reading is that Lohr began as a pet or reduced form of a given name rather than from a place or occupation.
History
The name appears in German-speaking surname lists and was already being discussed by 19th-century scholars as an abbreviated or reduced form. It is found today in Germany and in countries with German immigration, including the United States. In modern usage it may have multiple independent origins in different families, which is common for short surnames like this.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because short surnames often arose independently in several places, two families named Lohr are not necessarily related, even if they spell the name the same way.
From the historical record
“durch Rohreis = Rorizo) und Chur, Kurr, Eauer ein verkürztes Kunrad, aber darf man auch Lier, Laier, Laihr für Liuderich (jetzt Liederich), Laur, Lohr für Luderich (oder Lothar?), Mohr, Muhr, Murr, Miehr för Mutrich (jetzt Muthreich und Miedrich), Ohr fflr Otrich ansehen ? Die Namen in ro bei Förstemann erwecken…”
— Die oberdeutschen Familiennamen