Find out how popular the last name Custer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Custer.

Custer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Custer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Custer in America

Custer is the 3324th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Custer surname appeared 10,790 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 4 people would have the surname Custer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Custer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Custer

The surname Custer originated in Germany, where it was derived from the Middle High German word "kuste," meaning "dwelling" or "lodging." This name likely referred to someone who lived in or near a small house or cottage.

The earliest known recorded instance of the Custer name dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in various Germanic records and manuscripts. It was often spelled in slightly different variations, such as Kuster, Küster, or Küstner.

One of the earliest documented individuals with this surname was Hans Custer, a farmer who lived in the village of Heidingsfeld, near Würzburg, in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Johann Custer, a Protestant reformer and theologian who lived in Wittenberg, Germany, in the 16th century (born around 1520, died in 1597).

The Custer name can also be traced back to certain place names in Germany, such as Küstrin (now Kostrzyn, Poland), which was once referred to as "Cüstrin" or "Küstrin." This suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.

As the Custer family spread across Europe, the name became more widespread. One of the most famous individuals with this surname was George Armstrong Custer (1839-1876), an American Army officer who achieved notoriety for his role in the Battle of Little Bighorn against the Sioux and Cheyenne tribes in Montana.

Other notable individuals with the surname Custer include:

1. Emanuel Custer (1868-1951), an American Army officer and brother of George Armstrong Custer.
2. Grethe Custer (1892-1983), a Norwegian actress and singer.
3. Günther Custer (1801-1867), a German writer and journalist.
4. John Custer (1917-2002), an American painter and illustrator.
5. Judith Custer (born 1959), an American author and journalist.

While the Custer name has undergone various spelling variations over the centuries, its Germanic roots and association with dwellings or lodgings have remained a consistent theme throughout its history.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Custer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Custer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Custer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Custer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Custer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Custer, please contact us.

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