2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lasse
A Scandinavian surname derived from a form of the given name Lawrence.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Lasse. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lasse 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Lasse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasse, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lasse
The surname Lasse has its origins in Scandinavia, particularly in Sweden and Norway. It is believed to have derived from the Old Norse name Láfr or Lávr, which means "one who remains" or "survivor." This name was often given to children who were born after the loss of a previous child, symbolizing the family's resilience and the continuation of their lineage.
During the Viking Age, from the late 8th century to the late 11th century, the name Lasse was commonly found among the Norsemen who explored and settled in various parts of Europe. It is thought to have spread from Scandinavia to other regions through these Norse explorations and settlements.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lasse can be found in the Icelandic Sagas, a collection of historical narratives that document the lives and adventures of notable figures from the Viking era. In the Saga of the Greenlanders, written in the 13th century, a character named Lasse Thorarinnsson is mentioned as a prominent farmer and chieftain in Greenland.
In the medieval period, variations of the name, such as Lasse and Lass, appeared in several historical records across Scandinavia. For instance, the Danish Census Book of 1787 lists several individuals with the surname Lasse, indicating its widespread use in Denmark at the time.
Notable individuals who have borne the surname Lasse throughout history include:
1. Lasse Lucidor (1638-1674), a Swedish poet and playwright known for his contributions to the development of Swedish literature.
2. Lasse Mårtenson (1835-1909), a Swedish-American pioneer and farmer who played a significant role in the early settlement of Minnesota.
3. Lasse Viren (born 1949), a Finnish long-distance runner and four-time Olympic gold medalist, widely regarded as one of the greatest endurance athletes of all time.
4. Lasse Braun (1936-2015), a Swedish film director and screenwriter known for his provocative and controversial works in the erotic film genre.
5. Lasse Hallström (born 1946), a Swedish film director and screenwriter best known for his acclaimed films such as "My Life as a Dog," "The Cider House Rules," and "Chocolat."
It is worth noting that while the surname Lasse is predominantly associated with Scandinavia, it has also been adopted and used in other parts of Europe and the world due to migration and cultural exchange.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lasse
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasse, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Hispanic (7.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Lasse 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 Lasse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.7% · 91
- Black or African American8.2% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino7.3% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lasse
Lasse 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,607 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 51 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,607 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 51 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 Lasse 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 | #149,395 | #149,446 | -0.0% |
| Count | 110 | 110 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lasse bearers went from 110 to 110 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 51 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #149,446.
FAQ
Lasse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lasse?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Lasse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Lasse?
Lasse ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 110 people with the surname Lasse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lasse.
Has Lasse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lasse went from 110 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Lasse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasse, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.7%. The next largest groups are Black (8.2%) and Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Lasse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.7% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lasse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.7%), Black (8.2%), Hispanic (7.3%). 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 Lasse (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 Lasse mean?
A Scandinavian surname derived from a form of the given name Lawrence. 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 Lasse (0.04 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 surname Lasse?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.