2000
#13,480
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,070
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Ledger
An occupational surname referring to a treasurer, bookkeeper, or one who maintains financial records.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,389 Americans carry the last name Ledger. That puts it at #13,883 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 143,472 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ledger 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 Ledger with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.4K
1 in 143,472
Census rank
#13,883
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,083 bearers of the surname Ledger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13883rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledger, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ledger
The surname Ledger is of Anglo-Saxon origin, deriving from the Old English word 'lecgere' meaning a dweller at a woodland clearing or ridge. The name first appeared in the regions of Essex and Oxfordshire in England during the 11th century.
The earliest known record of the name Ledger can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it was spelled as 'Lecgere'. This historical manuscript recorded landholders and their holdings across England and parts of Wales after the Norman Conquest.
In the 13th century, the name was also recorded as 'Legger' and 'Leger', indicating variations in spelling during that time. The surname was often associated with place names such as Ledger Hall in Oxfordshire and Ledger Farm in Essex, further cementing its connection to the Old English word 'lecgere'.
One notable example of the surname Ledger from history is William Ledger (1538-1616), an English merchant and explorer who is credited with introducing spices from the East Indies to Europe. Another prominent figure was Sir Thomas Ledger (1645-1720), an English politician and Member of Parliament for Oxfordshire.
In the 18th century, John Ledger (1737-1803) was a renowned English clockmaker and inventor, known for his contributions to the development of precision timekeeping instruments. The 19th century saw the rise of Henry Ledger (1812-1888), a British naval officer and explorer who led several expeditions to the Arctic regions.
More recently, the late Heath Ledger (1979-2008) was an acclaimed Australian actor who won numerous awards, including an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in the film "The Dark Knight".
Throughout history, the surname Ledger has maintained its connection to its Anglo-Saxon roots, reflecting the dwellers of woodland clearings and ridges in England's early history. The variations in spelling and the association with place names further illustrate the rich heritage of this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ledger
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledger, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Ledger 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 Ledger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.8% · 1,703
- Hispanic or Latino6.0% · 126
- Black or African American5.1% · 106
- Two or more races4.8% · 100
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 26
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 22
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ledger
Ledger 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
#14,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
+62 bearers (+3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 616 places
2020
#13,883
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,083
-49 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 213 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,480 | 2,070 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,096 | 2,132 | 0.72 | +62 bearers (+3.0%) | Down 616 places |
| 2020 | #13,883 | 2,083 | 0.70 | -49 bearers (-2.3%) | Up 213 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 Ledger 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 | #14,096 | #13,883 | 1.5% |
| Count | 2,132 | 2,083 | -2.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.70 | -3.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ledger bearers went from 2,132 to 2,083 (-2.3% change). The surname moved up 213 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,096 to #13,883.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ledger
FAQ
Ledger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ledger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,389 living Americans carry the surname Ledger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 143,472 residents.
How common is Ledger?
Ledger ranks #13,883 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,083 people with the surname Ledger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,389), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Ledger.
Has Ledger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ledger went from 2,132 recorded bearers to 2,083. That is a decrease of 49 (-2.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,096 to #13,883.
What does the Census say about the background of Ledger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ledger, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.0%) and Black (5.1%). 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 Ledger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.8% (1,703 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ledger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.8%), Hispanic (6.0%), Black (5.1%). 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 Ledger (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 Ledger mean?
An occupational surname referring to a treasurer, bookkeeper, or one who maintains financial records. 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 Ledger (0.70 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 last name Ledger?
If you just want to know how many people are called Ledger, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.