2000
#111,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Flescher
A surname meaning "maker of arrows" or "fletcher."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Flescher. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flescher surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Flescher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flescher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flescher
The surname Flescher originated in Germany, stemming from the Middle High German word "fleischer," which translates to "butcher" or "meat cutter." This occupational surname emerged during the 13th century, denoting those whose trade involved the preparation and selling of meat.
The earliest recorded instance of the Flescher surname can be traced back to the Frankish region of Germany in the late 1200s. In the city of Nuremberg, a family of butchers known as the Fleschers was documented in local records, indicating their established presence and trade within the community.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling began to emerge, such as Fleischer, Fleischers, and Fleschers. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and scribal preferences during the transcription of records.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Flescher was Hans Flescher, a master butcher from the city of Augsburg. He gained recognition for his expertise in curing and preserving meats, and his techniques were widely adopted by fellow tradesmen.
The surname Flescher also appeared in several historical manuscripts, including the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of documents from the Kingdom of Saxony dated back to the 14th century. These records provide valuable insights into the lives and occupations of individuals bearing this surname during that era.
Another prominent figure was Johann Flescher, a butcher and landowner from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the late 15th century. His name is engraved on a commemorative plaque in the town's historic center, honoring his contributions to the local community.
In the 18th century, the Flescher surname gained prominence in the city of Leipzig, where a family of butchers established a successful business. Their shop, known as "Flescher's Fleischerei," became renowned for its high-quality meat products and attracted customers from across the region.
Moving into the 19th century, Carl Flescher (1801-1879) was a notable figure from Berlin. He was a respected butcher and philanthropist who founded a charitable organization dedicated to providing food and assistance to the city's underprivileged residents.
Throughout its history, the surname Flescher has been associated with the butchery trade, reflecting the skilled craftsmen and entrepreneurs who shaped the meat industry across various regions of Germany. The name's enduring legacy serves as a testament to the importance of this occupation in shaping the cultural and economic fabric of communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flescher
Among Census respondents with the surname Flescher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Flescher bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Flescher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 117
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flescher
Flescher appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-44 bearers (-29.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 46,115 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+17 bearers (+16.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,185 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #111,119 | 147 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -44 bearers (-29.9%) | Down 46,115 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +17 bearers (+16.5%) | Up 15,185 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Flescher surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #157,234 | #142,049 | 9.7% |
| Count | 103 | 120 | 16.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flescher bearers went from 103 to 120 (+16.5% change). The surname moved up 15,185 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #142,049.
FAQ
Flescher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flescher?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Flescher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Flescher?
Flescher ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 120 people with the surname Flescher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Flescher.
Has Flescher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flescher went from 103 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 17 (+16.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Flescher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flescher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Flescher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (117 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flescher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Hispanic (0.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Flescher (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Flescher mean?
A surname meaning "maker of arrows" or "fletcher." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Flescher (0.04 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people share the surname Flescher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.