2000
#9,024
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,331
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.23
Rare Last name
Lefever
A French occupational surname referring to a smith or metalworker, derived from the Old French word "fevre."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,738 Americans carry the last name Lefever. That puts it at #9,536 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,695 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lefever 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 Lefever with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
3.7K
1 in 91,695
Census rank
#9,536
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,260 bearers of the surname Lefever in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9536th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefever, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lefever
The surname LEFEVER has its origins in France, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old French word "fevre," which means "blacksmith" or "metalworker." The prefix "le" was a definite article commonly used at the time, indicating occupational names.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, the name LEFEVER was prevalent in the northern regions of France, particularly in Normandy and Brittany. It first appeared in written records as "le Fevre," referring to individuals who worked as blacksmiths or metalworkers in local villages and towns.
One of the earliest known references to the name LEFEVER can be found in the Chartulary of Savigny, a medieval cartulary compiled in the late 12th century. This document contains records of land transactions and mentions several individuals with the surname LEFEVER, indicating their presence in the region during that time.
In the 14th century, the name LEFEVER began to appear in various spellings, such as "Lefèvre," "Lefevre," and "Lefebvre." These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in recording names during that period.
Notable individuals with the surname LEFEVER throughout history include:
1. Jean Lefèvre (c. 1335-1416), a French theologian and philosopher, known for his contributions to the field of biblical studies.
2. Tanneguy Lefèvre (c. 1415-1472), a French military commander who served under King Charles VII during the Hundred Years' War.
3. Claude Lefèvre (c. 1520-1572), a French poet and humanist, renowned for his translations of ancient Greek and Latin texts.
4. Jacques Lefèvre (c. 1610-1675), a French painter who specialized in portraiture and historical subjects.
5. Jean-Baptiste Lefèvre (1768-1835), a French architect and engineer, notable for his work on the construction of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Furthermore, the surname LEFEVER has been associated with various place names throughout France, such as Lefèvre-sur-Oise, Lefèvre-en-Argonne, and Lefèvre-Pontalis, reflecting the widespread presence of individuals bearing this name in different regions.
While the surname LEFEVER has its roots in France, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its origins can be traced back to the skilled metalworkers and blacksmiths of medieval France, who played a crucial role in the development of local communities and industries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lefever
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefever, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lefever 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 Lefever surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,980
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 107
- Two or more races2.5% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 43
- Black or African American1.0% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 15
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lefever
Lefever 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
#9,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,327
-4 bearers (-0.1%)
Per 100,000 1.13
Rank movement Down 717 places
2020
#9,536
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,260
-67 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Up 205 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,024 | 3,331 | 1.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,741 | 3,327 | 1.13 | -4 bearers (-0.1%) | Down 717 places |
| 2020 | #9,536 | 3,260 | 1.09 | -67 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 205 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 Lefever 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 | #9,741 | #9,536 | 2.1% |
| Count | 3,327 | 3,260 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.13 | 1.09 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lefever bearers went from 3,327 to 3,260 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 205 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,741 to #9,536.
FAQ
Lefever surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lefever?
Name Census estimates that about 3,738 living Americans carry the surname Lefever. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,695 residents.
How common is Lefever?
Lefever ranks #9,536 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 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 3,260 people with the surname Lefever. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,738), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 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 Lefever.
Has Lefever become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lefever went from 3,327 recorded bearers to 3,260. That is a decrease of 67 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #9,741 to #9,536.
What does the Census say about the background of Lefever?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lefever, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Lefever in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,980 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lefever appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Lefever (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 Lefever mean?
A French occupational surname referring to a smith or metalworker, derived from the Old French word "fevre." 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 Lefever (1.09 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 Lefever?
Want to know how many people have the surname Lefever? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.