2000
#2,812
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,698
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.34
Uncommon Last name
Lantz
German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "lanze," meaning a lance or spear.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,356 Americans carry the last name Lantz. That puts it at #3,018 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,663 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lantz 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
13K
1 in 25,663
Census rank
#3,018
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
3.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,647 bearers of the surname Lantz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3018th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lantz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lantz
The surname Lantz is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "lanz" or "lenze," meaning "spring" or "Lent." It emerged in the 13th century as a descriptive name, possibly referring to someone born during the spring season or around the time of Lent.
In its earliest forms, the name was recorded as "Lenze" or "Lentze" in various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern and central areas. Over time, the spelling evolved to "Lantz" as the name spread across different regions and dialects.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 14th century. Here, the name "Lentze" is mentioned in connection with various individuals and landholdings.
Notable individuals bearing the Lantz surname throughout history include Johann Lantz (1564-1637), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony. Another notable figure was Friedrich Lantz (1730-1805), a German philosopher and theologian who wrote extensively on moral philosophy and ethics.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in records from the city of Nuremberg, where a family of artisans and craftsmen bearing the surname Lantz were documented. This family was involved in the production of intricate metalwork and jewelry, contributing to the city's reputation as a center of craftsmanship.
The name Lantz has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Lantzheim, a town in the Rhineland-Palatinate region, and Lantzenhain, a village in Hesse. These place names likely derived from the same linguistic roots as the surname itself.
Other notable individuals with the Lantz surname include Johann Christoph Lantz (1701-1765), a German composer and organist known for his sacred works, and Johann Michael Lantz (1683-1743), a German painter and engraver who was active in the Baroque period.
Overall, the surname Lantz has a rich history rooted in the German language and culture, with its origins dating back to the Middle Ages. While its prevalence may have shifted over time, it remains a testament to the linguistic diversity and historical significance of surnames across different regions and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lantz
Among Census respondents with the surname Lantz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lantz 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 Lantz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 10,790
- Two or more races3.5% · 402
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 269
- Black or African American0.7% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 75
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lantz
Lantz 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
#2,949
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,169
+471 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 4.13
Rank movement Down 137 places
2020
#3,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,647
-522 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 3.90
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,812 | 11,698 | 4.34 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,949 | 12,169 | 4.13 | +471 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 137 places |
| 2020 | #3,018 | 11,647 | 3.90 | -522 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 69 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 Lantz 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 | #2,949 | #3,018 | -2.3% |
| Count | 12,169 | 11,647 | -4.3% |
| Per 100K | 4.13 | 3.90 | -5.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lantz bearers went from 12,169 to 11,647 (-4.3% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,949 to #3,018.
FAQ
Lantz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lantz?
Name Census estimates that about 13,356 living Americans carry the surname Lantz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,663 residents.
How common is Lantz?
Lantz ranks #3,018 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.90 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,647 people with the surname Lantz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,356), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.90 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Lantz.
Has Lantz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lantz went from 12,169 recorded bearers to 11,647. That is a decrease of 522 (-4.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,949 to #3,018.
What does the Census say about the background of Lantz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lantz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Lantz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (10,790 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lantz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Lantz (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 Lantz mean?
German occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word "lanze," meaning a lance or spear. 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 Lantz (3.90 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 common is the surname Lantz?
See how many people have the last name Lantz on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.