Lor
A rare surname with uncertain roots, probably tied to a personal name or regional spelling tradition rather than a common English occupation.
The #3,149 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 26,897 Americans shares it.
Etymology
The evidence for Lor is thin, and the historical excerpts do not give a secure surname entry for it. The name may be related to a shortened form of an older personal name, possibly one with Scandinavian or French connections, but the exact root is not established from the available sources. Because of its brevity, Lor can also arise as a variant spelling or abbreviation in records rather than a long-standing independent surname.
History
The provided sources do not document a clear family history for Lor itself. In English records, very short surnames like this are often unstable spellings, clipped forms, or local variants that can shift over time. The name is uncommon in the modern U.S., suggesting either a small immigrant line or a surname that has remained geographically limited.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Short surnames like Lor are often hard to pin down because they can overlap with abbreviations, nicknames, and altered spellings in old records.
From the historical record
“ROLLE I which, however, really represents Ralph or Ralf), lor Rolf, Rodolf, q.v. Rolle is not nearly so common a sur- name in France as the deriv. Rollet. Cp. Rowel I (A.-Fr.-Teut.) ROLLAND, v. Roland.”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)