2000
#7,702
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,983
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.48
Rare Last name
Glasser
A German occupational surname for a glazier or glassmaker, derived from the Middle High German word "glas".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,142 Americans carry the last name Glasser. That puts it at #8,715 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 82,751 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Glasser 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
4.1K
1 in 82,751
Census rank
#8,715
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,612 bearers of the surname Glasser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8715th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Glasser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Glasser
The surname Glasser originated in Germany and is derived from the German word "glas," which means "glass." This suggests that the name likely originated from an occupation or trade related to the production or sale of glassware.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Glasser can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. It is believed that the name initially referred to a glassmaker or a merchant who traded in glassware products.
In medieval times, the production of glass was a highly specialized craft, and glassmakers were held in high regard. Some historical records indicate that members of the Glasser family were involved in the glassmaking industry in cities like Cologne and Nuremberg, which were known for their renowned glass workshops.
One notable individual with the surname Glasser was Johann Glasser, a German glassmaker who lived in the 16th century (c. 1525-1590). He was known for his innovative techniques in glass production and is credited with introducing the use of enamel in glassmaking.
Another prominent figure was Andreas Glasser (1610-1678), a German scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg. He authored several works on theology and philosophy during the Protestant Reformation era.
In the 18th century, the Glasser family expanded their reach beyond Germany, with some members migrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Johann Friedrich Glasser (1738-1812), a German-born glassmaker who established a successful glass factory in Pennsylvania after emigrating to the United States.
The name Glasser also has connections to various place names in Germany, such as Glaserhütte (meaning "glassmaker's hut") and Glasersdorf (meaning "glassmaker's village"), which further reinforces the occupation-based origin of the surname.
Other notable individuals with the surname Glasser include Johann Baptist Glasser (1777-1856), an Austrian composer and violinist, and Sigmund Glasser (1864-1937), a German-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Glasser Foundation.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Glasser
Among Census respondents with the surname Glasser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Glasser 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 Glasser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 3,319
- Two or more races3.5% · 126
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 38
- Black or African American0.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Glasser
Glasser 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
#7,844
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,221
+238 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 1.43
Rank movement Down 142 places
2020
#8,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,612
-609 bearers (-14.4%)
Per 100,000 1.21
Rank movement Down 871 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,702 | 3,983 | 1.48 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,844 | 4,221 | 1.43 | +238 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 142 places |
| 2020 | #8,715 | 3,612 | 1.21 | -609 bearers (-14.4%) | Down 871 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 Glasser 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 | #7,844 | #8,715 | -11.1% |
| Count | 4,221 | 3,612 | -14.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.43 | 1.21 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Glasser bearers went from 4,221 to 3,612 (-14.4% change). The surname moved down 871 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,844 to #8,715.
FAQ
Glasser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Glasser?
Name Census estimates that about 4,142 living Americans carry the surname Glasser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 82,751 residents.
How common is Glasser?
Glasser ranks #8,715 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.21 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 3,612 people with the surname Glasser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,142), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.21 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.21 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 Glasser.
Has Glasser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Glasser went from 4,221 recorded bearers to 3,612. That is a decrease of 609 (-14.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,844 to #8,715.
What does the Census say about the background of Glasser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Glasser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Glasser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (3,319 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Glasser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (3.0%). 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 Glasser (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 Glasser mean?
A German occupational surname for a glazier or glassmaker, derived from the Middle High German word "glas". 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 Glasser (1.21 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 Glasser?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Glasser, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.