2000
#18,492
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,378
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.51
Rare Last name
Lasseter
A surname likely derived from a French place name meaning "assembly of courtiers."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,546 Americans carry the last name Lasseter. That puts it at #19,974 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.45 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 221,704 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lasseter 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
1.5K
1 in 221,704
Census rank
#19,974
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,348 bearers of the surname Lasseter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.45 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19974th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasseter, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lasseter
The surname LASSETER is believed to have originated in England, with its earliest known records dating back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the Old English word "lassa," meaning "lad" or "servant," combined with the suffix "-eter," which is thought to signify an occupation or trade.
One of the earliest known references to the LASSETER name can be found in the records of the parish of Staffordshire, where a certain Thomas Lasseter was mentioned in 1592. This suggests that the name may have originated or been prominent in that region during the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, records show the LASSETER name appearing in various parts of England, including Gloucestershire and Warwickshire. During this time, the name was sometimes spelled as "Lassiter" or "Lassitor," reflecting regional variations in pronunciation and spelling conventions.
A notable early bearer of the LASSETER name was John Lasseter, born in 1635 in Gloucestershire, England. He was a prominent landowner and is recorded as having served as a local magistrate in his community.
As the centuries passed, the LASSETER name spread across England and beyond. In the 18th century, a branch of the family migrated to Ireland, where the name took root, particularly in County Antrim.
One of the most famous individuals bearing the LASSETER surname was John Lasseter, born in 1957, an American animator, film director, and one of the pioneers of computer animation. He was a co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios and has been instrumental in the success of many beloved animated films, including "Toy Story," "Cars," and "Finding Nemo."
Another notable LASSETER was Lewis Lasseter, born in 1809 in England. He was an explorer and prospector who is credited with discovering gold in central Australia in the 1860s, leading to the establishment of several mining towns in the region.
In the 19th century, the LASSETER name also found its way to North America, with several individuals bearing the surname settling in various parts of the United States and Canada. One such individual was William Lasseter, born in 1820 in England, who emigrated to Canada and became a successful farmer and landowner in Ontario.
Throughout its history, the LASSETER surname has been associated with various occupations and professions, from landowners and magistrates to explorers and animators. While its origins can be traced back to England, the name has since spread across the globe, carrying with it a rich tapestry of stories and achievements.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lasseter
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasseter, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lasseter 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 Lasseter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 1,154
- Black or African American6.5% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 55
- Two or more races3.1% · 42
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lasseter
Lasseter 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
#19,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,356
-22 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.46
Rank movement Down 1,331 places
2020
#19,974
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,348
-8 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.45
Rank movement Down 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #18,492 | 1,378 | 0.51 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #19,823 | 1,356 | 0.46 | -22 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 1,331 places |
| 2020 | #19,974 | 1,348 | 0.45 | -8 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 151 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 Lasseter 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 | #19,823 | #19,974 | -0.8% |
| Count | 1,356 | 1,348 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.46 | 0.45 | -2.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lasseter bearers went from 1,356 to 1,348 (-0.6% change). The surname moved down 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #19,823 to #19,974.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lasseter
FAQ
Lasseter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lasseter?
Name Census estimates that about 1,546 living Americans carry the surname Lasseter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 221,704 residents.
How common is Lasseter?
Lasseter ranks #19,974 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.45 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 1,348 people with the surname Lasseter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,546), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.45 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.45 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 Lasseter.
Has Lasseter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lasseter went from 1,356 recorded bearers to 1,348. That is a decrease of 8 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #19,823 to #19,974.
What does the Census say about the background of Lasseter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lasseter, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Black (6.5%) and Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Lasseter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (1,154 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lasseter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Black (6.5%), Hispanic (4.1%). 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 Lasseter (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 Lasseter mean?
A surname likely derived from a French place name meaning "assembly of courtiers." 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 Lasseter (0.45 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 are called Lasseter?
Find out how many people are called Lasseter on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.