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

Lehr, 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 Lehr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lehr in America

Lehr is the 5328th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lehr surname appeared 6,537 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Lehr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lehr 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 Lehr

The surname LEHR originated from the German language and traces its roots back to the Middle Ages. It likely derived from the German word "lehren," which means "to teach" or "to instruct." This suggests that the name may have been associated with individuals who were teachers, instructors, or educators.

The earliest known records of the surname LEHR can be found in various German regions, particularly in areas such as Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. The name was prevalent among the German-speaking population during the medieval and early modern periods.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEHR is found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 11th century. The document mentions a certain "Johannes Lehr," who was a scribe or scholar in the city of Cologne.

In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname LEHR was Johannes Lehr, a German mathematician and astronomer who lived from around 1320 to 1390. He was known for his contributions to the study of celestial mechanics and the development of astronomical instruments.

Another significant individual with the surname LEHR was Johann Lehr, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1481 to 1551. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and played a role in the spread of Lutheran teachings in various German states.

In the 16th century, a notable bearer of the surname LEHR was Martin Lehr, a German composer and organist who lived from around 1520 to 1582. He was known for his contributions to sacred music and his compositions for the organ.

During the 17th century, the surname LEHR was associated with several noteworthy individuals, including Johann Georg Lehr, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1611 to 1673. He made significant contributions to the field of civil law and served as a professor at various universities.

As the surname LEHR spread across German-speaking regions, it evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Lehrer, Lehre, and Lehr. These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic preferences.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lehr

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

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

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

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