2000
#5,329
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,017
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.23
Rare Last name
Lazar
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the biblical figure Lazarus, meaning "God has helped."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,119 Americans carry the last name Lazar. That puts it at #5,427 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 48,146 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lazar 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 Lazar with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
7.1K
1 in 48,146
Census rank
#5,427
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,208 bearers of the surname Lazar in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5427th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lazar
The surname Lazar has its origins in the Slavic languages, derived from the personal name Lazar, which itself comes from the ancient Greek name Lazaros. This name can be traced back to the Biblical figure Lazarus, whom Jesus Christ raised from the dead according to the Gospel of John.
The name Lazar was particularly prevalent in various Slavic regions, including Russia, Ukraine, Serbia, and Bulgaria. It gained popularity as a surname during the Middle Ages, with early recorded instances dating back to the 13th and 14th centuries.
In medieval Serbia, the Lazar surname was associated with the renowned ruler Prince Lazar Hrebeljanović (c. 1329-1389), who led the Serbian forces against the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Kosovo in 1389. This historical figure contributed to the widespread use of the surname among Serbs.
Another notable bearer of the Lazar surname was Vuk Lazar Branković (c. 1345-1397), a Serbian nobleman and military commander who played a significant role in the Serbian resistance against the Ottoman invasion.
In Russia, the Lazar surname can be found in historical records dating back to the 16th century. One prominent figure was Andrei Lazar (c. 1600-1649), a Russian diplomat and statesman who served as the ambassador to Persia during the reign of Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich.
The Lazar surname also has a presence in other Slavic countries, such as Poland and Croatia. In Poland, the name is sometimes spelled as Lazarz, while in Croatia, it may appear as Lazar or Lazarić.
Other notable individuals with the Lazar surname include:
1. Lazar Kaganovich (1893-1991), a Soviet politician and close associate of Joseph Stalin.
2. Lazar Berman (1930-2005), a renowned Russian pianist and teacher.
3. Lazar Moiseyevich Kaganovich (1825-1887), a Russian architect known for his work in St. Petersburg.
4. Lazar Radović (1938-2019), a Serbian poet and writer.
5. Lazar Bačić (1944-2018), a Croatian actor and theater director.
While the surname Lazar has its roots in the Slavic regions, it has since spread to various parts of the world due to migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the ancient Greek name Lazaros and its biblical associations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lazar
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lazar 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 Lazar surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 5,674
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 187
- Two or more races2.6% · 160
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 118
- Black or African American1.0% · 61
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lazar
Lazar 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
#5,689
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,093
+76 bearers (+1.3%)
Per 100,000 2.07
Rank movement Down 360 places
2020
#5,427
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,208
+115 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 2.08
Rank movement Up 262 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,329 | 6,017 | 2.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,689 | 6,093 | 2.07 | +76 bearers (+1.3%) | Down 360 places |
| 2020 | #5,427 | 6,208 | 2.08 | +115 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 262 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 Lazar 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 | #5,689 | #5,427 | 4.6% |
| Count | 6,093 | 6,208 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 2.07 | 2.08 | 0.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lazar bearers went from 6,093 to 6,208 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 262 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,689 to #5,427.
FAQ
Lazar surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lazar?
Name Census estimates that about 7,119 living Americans carry the surname Lazar. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 48,146 residents.
How common is Lazar?
Lazar ranks #5,427 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.08 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 6,208 people with the surname Lazar. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.08 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 Lazar.
Has Lazar become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lazar went from 6,093 recorded bearers to 6,208. That is an increase of 115 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #5,689 to #5,427.
What does the Census say about the background of Lazar?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazar, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Lazar in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (5,674 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lazar appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Lazar (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 Lazar mean?
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the biblical figure Lazarus, meaning "God has helped." 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 Lazar (2.08 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 share the surname Lazar?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.