2000
#6,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,896
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.81
Rare Last name
Lander
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on or near land, as opposed to a water-dweller.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,461 Americans carry the last name Lander. That puts it at #6,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.59 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 62,764 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lander 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 Lander with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
5.5K
1 in 62,764
Census rank
#6,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,762 bearers of the surname Lander in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.59 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lander, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lander
The surname LANDER is of English origin, deriving from the Old English words "land" and "iere," meaning "landholder" or "one who works the land." It first emerged in the 12th century as a descriptive name for individuals who owned or cultivated land.
The earliest recorded instance of the name can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire in 1194, where it appears as "Robert le Landier." This spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during their formative years, as they gradually solidified into fixed hereditary names.
By the 13th century, the name had spread across various regions of England. Notably, it appears in the Curia Regis Rolls of Northamptonshire in 1221 as "John le Launder" and in the Feet of Fines for Suffolk in 1292 as "William le Lander."
One of the earliest recorded bearers of the surname was Sir Thomas Lander (c. 1300 - c. 1370), a prominent landowner and knight from Warwickshire. He was appointed to the prestigious position of Sheriff of Warwickshire and Leicestershire in 1349.
Another notable figure was John Lander (c. 1450 - 1512), a merchant and alderman from London. He served as the Sheriff of London in 1491 and was renowned for his philanthropic endeavors, including the endowment of a school and almshouses in his hometown of Lowestoft, Suffolk.
In the 16th century, the name gained further recognition with the exploits of Edward Lander (c. 1530 - 1597), an English explorer and navigator. He undertook several expeditions to the Arctic regions and is credited with the discovery of the Lander Islands, located in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago.
Another individual of note was Sir Bevil Lander (1594 - 1647), a prominent Royalist commander during the English Civil War. He played a significant role in the Battle of Stratton in 1643 and was killed in action during the Battle of Lansdowne later that year.
In the literary realm, the surname is associated with the English novelist and playwright, Walter Savage Lander (1775 - 1864). He is best known for his satirical plays, including "The Imaginary Conversation" and "Pericles and Aspasia," which earned him widespread acclaim in the 19th century.
Throughout its history, the LANDER surname has been associated with various geographic locations across England, including Yorkshire, Northamptonshire, Suffolk, Warwickshire, and London. Its origins as a descriptive name reflecting the occupation or status of landholders have contributed to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lander
Among Census respondents with the surname Lander, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Hispanic (6.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lander 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 Lander surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 3,869
- Black or African American7.4% · 354
- Hispanic or Latino6.2% · 297
- Two or more races3.0% · 142
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 56
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 44
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lander
Lander 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
#6,535
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,186
+290 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 1.76
Rank movement Down 132 places
2020
#6,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,762
-424 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 1.59
Rank movement Down 273 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,403 | 4,896 | 1.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,535 | 5,186 | 1.76 | +290 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 132 places |
| 2020 | #6,808 | 4,762 | 1.59 | -424 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 273 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 Lander 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 | #6,535 | #6,808 | -4.2% |
| Count | 5,186 | 4,762 | -8.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.76 | 1.59 | -9.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lander bearers went from 5,186 to 4,762 (-8.2% change). The surname moved down 273 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,535 to #6,808.
FAQ
Lander surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lander?
Name Census estimates that about 5,461 living Americans carry the surname Lander. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 62,764 residents.
How common is Lander?
Lander ranks #6,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.59 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,762 people with the surname Lander. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,461), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.59 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.59 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lander.
Has Lander become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lander went from 5,186 recorded bearers to 4,762. That is a decrease of 424 (-8.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,535 to #6,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Lander?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lander, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (7.4%) and Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Lander in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (3,869 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lander appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Black (7.4%), Hispanic (6.2%). 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 Lander (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 Lander mean?
An English toponymic surname referring to someone who lived on or near land, as opposed to a water-dweller. 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 Lander (1.59 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 Americans have the surname Lander?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.