Find out how popular the last name Lefler is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lefler.

Lefler, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lefler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lefler in America

Lefler is the 8888th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lefler surname appeared 3,684 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lefler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lefler to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lefler

The surname Lefler is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. The name likely derives from the Old German word "leffel," which means "spoon," suggesting that the Lefler family may have been involved in the manufacture or sale of spoons or other utensils.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony dating back to the 12th century. The name appears as "Leffelaere," which is thought to be an occupational surname referring to a spoon maker or seller.

In the 14th century, there are records of a Johannes Lefler residing in the town of Mühlhausen, in present-day Thuringia, Germany. This is one of the earliest known mentions of the surname in its more modern spelling.

As the Lefler family spread throughout Germany and beyond, variations in spelling emerged, including Lefler, Leflair, and Lefflaire. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and differences in pronunciation.

One notable figure bearing the Lefler surname was Hans Lefler, a German artist and engraver born in 1589 in Bamberg, Germany. His intricate engravings and woodcuts depicting religious and historical scenes were highly regarded during his lifetime.

In the 17th century, the name Lefler began to appear in records in other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and England. One such example is Pieter Lefler, a Dutch merchant and trader who lived in Amsterdam in the mid-1600s.

Another significant individual with the Lefler surname was Johann Friedrich Lefler, a German composer and organist born in 1732 in Rudolstadt, Thuringia. He composed numerous sacred works and served as the court organist for several German noble families.

As the centuries passed, the Lefler name continued to spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, including North America and Australia, carried by emigrating families seeking new opportunities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lefler

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lefler.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lefler was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lefler has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lefler was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lefler, please contact us.

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