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

Laier, 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 Laier surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Laier in America

Laier is the 78821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Laier surname appeared 242 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Laier.

We can also compare 2010 data for Laier 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 Laier

The surname LAIER has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the German word "leier," which means "lyre" or "lute," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been musicians or instrument makers.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the LAIER surname can be found in the town of Wittenberg, where a man named Hans LAIER was listed in the city's tax records in 1567. This suggests that the name was already established in the region at that time.

In the 17th century, the LAIER name appeared in various records across Germany, including church registers and legal documents. For example, a man named Johann LAIER was born in Augsburg in 1624, and his descendants can be traced through several generations of the family's history.

The LAIER surname is also associated with several notable figures throughout history. One of the earliest was Johann Friedrich LAIER, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1668 to 1728. He was known for his work on the philosophy of religion and his contributions to the development of Lutheran theology.

Another prominent individual with the LAIER surname was Wilhelm LAIER, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1825 to 1899. He was known for his landscapes and genre scenes, and his works can be found in various art museums throughout Germany.

In the late 19th century, the LAIER name gained some prominence in the field of music. Gustav LAIER, born in 1836 in Dresden, was a renowned composer and conductor who served as the director of the Dresden Opera House from 1875 to 1890.

Moving into the 20th century, one notable bearer of the LAIER surname was Hans LAIER, a German architect who lived from 1914 to 1997. He was known for his modernist designs and his contributions to the reconstruction of several German cities after World War II.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the LAIER surname has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany. For example, there is a small village called Laiern in the state of Bavaria, which may have been the original home of some of the earliest bearers of the name.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Laier

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

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

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

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