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

Legner, 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 Legner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Legner in America

Legner is the 46037th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Legner surname appeared 463 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Legner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Legner 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 Legner

The surname Legner is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Legner," which referred to a person who worked as a layer or arranger of materials, particularly in the construction industry.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Legner can be found in the records of the town of Augsburg, Germany, where a certain Hans Legner was mentioned as a bricklayer in 1568. This suggests that the name was already associated with a specific occupation at that time.

In the 17th century, the name Legner appeared in various church records and municipal documents throughout southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. Some of these records include mentions of individuals such as Johann Legner (1624-1702), a farmer from the village of Unterfinningen, and Hans Legner (1656-1718), a carpenter from the town of Heilbronn.

As the centuries passed, the Legner surname spread to other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. One notable figure with this name was Friedrich Legner (1824-1892), a German painter and illustrator who was born in Nuremberg and gained recognition for his depictions of historical scenes and landscapes.

Another prominent individual was Max Legner (1888-1964), an Austrian architect and urban planner who was instrumental in the reconstruction and development of several cities in Austria after World War II, including Vienna and Linz.

In the 20th century, the name Legner also appeared in the United States, likely due to immigration from German-speaking regions. One notable American with this surname was Hans Legner (1900-1987), a German-born architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Austrian Cultural Institute and the Neue Galerie.

While the Legner surname is most commonly associated with Germany and German-speaking areas, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Switzerland, likely due to migration and cultural exchange over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Legner

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

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 Legner 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 Legner 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 Legner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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