2000
#5,079
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,338
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.35
Rare Last name
Lehr
An occupational surname referring to a teacher, derived from the German word "lehrer" meaning "teacher" or "instructor."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 7,229 Americans carry the last name Lehr. That puts it at #5,337 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.11 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 47,414 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lehr 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.
Bearers in the US
7.2K
1 in 47,414
Census rank
#5,337
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
6.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 6,304 bearers of the surname Lehr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.11 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 5337th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEHR is found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 11th century.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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lehr
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Lehr 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 Lehr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 5,758
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 260
- Two or more races3.2% · 200
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 42
- Black or African American0.4% · 27
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lehr
Lehr 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
#5,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,537
+199 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 2.22
Rank movement Down 249 places
2020
#5,337
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,304
-233 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 2.11
Rank movement Down 9 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,079 | 6,338 | 2.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,328 | 6,537 | 2.22 | +199 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 249 places |
| 2020 | #5,337 | 6,304 | 2.11 | -233 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 9 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 Lehr 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 | #5,328 | #5,337 | -0.2% |
| Count | 6,537 | 6,304 | -3.6% |
| Per 100K | 2.22 | 2.11 | -5.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lehr bearers went from 6,537 to 6,304 (-3.6% change). The surname moved down 9 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,328 to #5,337.
FAQ
Lehr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lehr?
Name Census estimates that about 7,229 living Americans carry the surname Lehr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 47,414 residents.
How common is Lehr?
Lehr ranks #5,337 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.11 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 6,304 people with the surname Lehr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (7,229), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.11 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.11 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Lehr.
Has Lehr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lehr went from 6,537 recorded bearers to 6,304. That is a decrease of 233 (-3.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,328 to #5,337.
What does the Census say about the background of Lehr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Lehr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (5,758 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lehr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Lehr (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 Lehr mean?
An occupational surname referring to a teacher, derived from the German word "lehrer" meaning "teacher" or "instructor." 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 Lehr (2.11 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 Lehr?
You can see how many people have the last name Lehr on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.