2000
#9,901
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,006
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.11
Rare Last name
Flesher
An occupational surname referring to a butcher or one who prepares meat.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,073 Americans carry the last name Flesher. That puts it at #11,273 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,537 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Flesher 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Flesher with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.1K
1 in 111,537
Census rank
#11,273
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,680 bearers of the surname Flesher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11273rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Flesher, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Flesher
The surname Flesher is of English origin, derived from the occupational term "flesher," which referred to a butcher or a dealer in meat. The name can be traced back to the early 13th century, with its earliest recorded use found in the Hundred Rolls of Yorkshire in 1273, where it appears as "le Flesshewere."
This surname was particularly prevalent in the northern counties of England, especially in Yorkshire, Northumberland, and Durham, where the meat trade was a thriving industry. The name likely originated from the Old English word "flæsc," meaning flesh or meat, and the Old French word "flescher," meaning butcher.
In the Domesday Book of 1086, there are references to individuals with occupations related to the meat trade, such as "carnifex" (butcher) and "carnifex regis" (the king's butcher). However, the specific surname Flesher is not mentioned in this ancient record.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Flesher can be found in the Yorkshire Poll Tax Returns of 1379, where a John Flesshewer is listed. Another early example is William Flescher, who was mentioned in the Durham Chancery Records in 1471.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Flesher:
1. Sir John Flesher (1545-1615), an English merchant and politician who served as the Lord Mayor of London in 1608.
2. Thomas Flesher (1612-1663), an English printer and publisher based in London during the 17th century.
3. John Flesher (1707-1776), a British mathematician and astronomer who made significant contributions to the calculation of the Earth's orbit.
4. Margaret Flesher (1829-1892), an American educator and abolitionist who founded the Flesher School for Colored Girls in Virginia.
5. William Flesher (1838-1917), a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in Yorkshire, including the Wakefield Town Hall.
While the surname Flesher has its roots in the occupation of butchery, it has evolved over time and is now widely dispersed across various regions and communities, transcending its original occupational association.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Flesher
Among Census respondents with the surname Flesher, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Flesher 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 Flesher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 2,455
- Two or more races3.2% · 85
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 82
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 28
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 18
- Black or African American0.4% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Flesher
Flesher 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
#10,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,966
-40 bearers (-1.3%)
Per 100,000 1.01
Rank movement Down 855 places
2020
#11,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,680
-286 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 517 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,901 | 3,006 | 1.11 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,756 | 2,966 | 1.01 | -40 bearers (-1.3%) | Down 855 places |
| 2020 | #11,273 | 2,680 | 0.90 | -286 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 517 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 Flesher 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 | #10,756 | #11,273 | -4.8% |
| Count | 2,966 | 2,680 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 1.01 | 0.90 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Flesher bearers went from 2,966 to 2,680 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 517 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,756 to #11,273.
FAQ
Flesher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Flesher?
Name Census estimates that about 3,073 living Americans carry the surname Flesher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,537 residents.
How common is Flesher?
Flesher ranks #11,273 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,680 people with the surname Flesher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,073), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Flesher.
Has Flesher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Flesher went from 2,966 recorded bearers to 2,680. That is a decrease of 286 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,756 to #11,273.
What does the Census say about the background of Flesher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Flesher, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Flesher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (2,455 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Flesher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Flesher (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 Flesher mean?
An occupational surname referring to a butcher or one who prepares meat. 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 Flesher (0.90 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 have the last name Flesher?
Want to know how many people have the surname Flesher? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.