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

Flesch, 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 Flesch surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Flesch in America

Flesch is the 18550th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Flesch surname appeared 1,487 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Flesch.

We can also compare 2010 data for Flesch 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 Flesch

The surname Flesch has its origins in the Germanic language groups of central and western Europe. It is believed to have originated as an occupational surname, derived from the Old High German word "flësc" or the Middle High German "vlëisch," both of which meant "flesh" or "meat." This suggests that the name may have been given to individuals who worked with meat, such as butchers, hunters, or traders.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Flesch can be traced back to the 13th century in regions that are now part of modern-day Germany, Switzerland, and Austria. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Heinrich Flesch, a merchant from the town of Augsburg, mentioned in records from the year 1275.

In the late 14th century, the name appears in the Codex Diplomaticus Salemitanus, a collection of historical documents from the Benedictine monastery of Salem in present-day Baden-Württemberg, Germany. This record mentions a certain Cuntz Flesch, who was a landowner in the village of Kirchberg.

During the 16th century, the name Flesch gained prominence through the work of a renowned scholar and humanist, Johann Flesch (1487-1537). Born in Brackenheim, Württemberg, he was a professor of Greek and Latin at the University of Basel and was known for his contributions to the study of classical literature.

Another notable figure with the surname Flesch was the German-American writer and critic, Rudolf Flesch (1911-1986). He is best known for developing the Flesch Reading Ease test, a widely used tool for measuring the readability of written texts. His works, such as "The Art of Readable Writing" and "The Art of Plain Talk," had a significant impact on the field of communication and writing.

In the 19th century, the name Flesch was associated with the German composer and music theorist, Friedrich Flesch (1801-1876). He was a prominent figure in the musical circles of his time and authored several influential works on music theory and composition.

Throughout its history, the surname Flesch has also been found in various regions of Europe, including France, where it is sometimes spelled as "Flêche," and the Netherlands, where it is written as "Vlees." Despite the regional variations in spelling, the name's origins can be traced back to the same linguistic roots.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Flesch

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

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 Flesch 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 Flesch 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 Flesch was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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