2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lazerson
A Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name Eleazar, meaning "God has helped".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 143 Americans carry the last name Lazerson. That puts it at #138,300 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,396,883 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lazerson 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
143
1 in 2,396,883
Census rank
#138,300
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
125
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 125 bearers of the surname Lazerson in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 138300th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lazerson
The surname Lazerson originated in Eastern Europe, most likely in the region of modern-day Poland or Ukraine, during the 16th or 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the Hebrew name Eleazar, which means "God has helped." This name was often Anglicized to Lazarus or Lazer, and the suffix "-son" was added to indicate a patronymic or "son of" naming convention.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lazerson name can be found in a Jewish census record from the town of Krakow, Poland, dated 1675. This document lists a family with the surname spelled as "Lazarson." Another early reference is found in a birth record from the town of Lviv (then part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth) in 1692, where the name is spelled "Lazerson."
The Lazerson surname is closely tied to Jewish history and the diaspora of Ashkenazi Jews throughout Eastern and Central Europe. As Jews were often required to adopt surnames during this period, many chose names based on their given names, occupations, or places of origin.
One notable individual with the Lazerson surname was Abraham Lazerson (1844-1912), a prominent rabbi and scholar who lived in Vilna (now Vilnius, Lithuania). He authored several works on Jewish law and tradition and was highly respected within the Jewish community.
Another individual of note is Sarah Lazerson (1870-1942), a Polish-born writer and educator who was active in the early 20th century. She wrote several books on Jewish culture and history and worked to promote education for Jewish women in her native Poland.
During the 19th century, many Lazerson families immigrated to the United States and other parts of the world, seeking better opportunities and escaping persecution. One early immigrant was Isaac Lazerson (1825-1901), who arrived in New York City from Poland in the 1850s and later became a successful businessman.
Other notable individuals with the Lazerson surname include:
1. Mordechai Lazerson (1880-1956), a Russian-born Hebrew scholar and educator who taught at various universities in Israel.
2. Esther Lazerson (1892-1976), an American author and playwright known for her works exploring Jewish themes and culture.
3. Samuel Lazerson (1910-1995), a Polish-born artist and sculptor who spent much of his career in the United States.
4. Miriam Lazerson (1926-2018), an American academic and author who wrote extensively on education policy and reform.
5. David Lazerson (1937-2021), a Canadian businessman and philanthropist who supported various Jewish organizations and causes.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lazerson
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lazerson 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 Lazerson surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.4% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 3
- Two or more races2.4% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lazerson
Lazerson 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,119 places
2020
#138,300
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+5 bearers (+4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 928 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,119 places |
| 2020 | #138,300 | 125 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.2%) | Up 928 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 Lazerson 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 | #139,228 | #138,300 | 0.7% |
| Count | 120 | 125 | 4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lazerson bearers went from 120 to 125 (+4.2% change). The surname moved up 928 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #138,300.
FAQ
Lazerson surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lazerson?
Name Census estimates that about 143 living Americans carry the surname Lazerson. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,396,883 residents.
How common is Lazerson?
Lazerson ranks #138,300 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 125 people with the surname Lazerson. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (143), 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 Lazerson.
Has Lazerson become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lazerson went from 120 recorded bearers to 125. That is an increase of 5 (+4.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #139,228 to #138,300.
What does the Census say about the background of Lazerson?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lazerson, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Lazerson in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.4% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lazerson appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.4%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Lazerson (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 Lazerson mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name Eleazar, 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 Lazerson (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 Lazerson?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.