2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lehrkamp
A German surname derived from a combination of "Lehr" meaning teaching or instruction and "Kamp" meaning battle or fight.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Lehrkamp. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lehrkamp 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Lehrkamp in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehrkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lehrkamp
The surname Lehrkamp traces its origins to the German language and is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany during the Middle Ages. It is a compound word derived from the Old German words "lehr," meaning "teaching" or "instruction," and "kamp," meaning "field" or "open area." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who worked as teachers or instructors in open fields or outdoor areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lehrkamp can be found in the Hanseatic League records from the 14th century, where it appears as "Lerkamp." This variation in spelling was common during that era due to the lack of standardized orthography. The Hanseatic League was a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in northern Europe, indicating that the Lehrkamp family may have been involved in trade or commerce during that time.
In the 16th century, the name Lehrkamp appeared in several church records and local chronicles in the region of Holstein, which was then part of the Danish-German territories. This suggests that the Lehrkamp family had established a presence in this area and may have been involved in agricultural or educational pursuits.
One notable individual bearing the surname Lehrkamp was Johann Lehrkamp (1610-1678), a respected theologian and educator who served as a professor at the University of Rostock in northern Germany. His contributions to the field of theology and his impact on the intellectual life of the region earned him recognition during his lifetime.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Lehrkamp (1749-1823), a prominent merchant and philanthropist from the city of Hamburg. He was known for his successful business ventures and his support of various charitable initiatives, particularly those aimed at improving education and healthcare in the region.
In the 19th century, the Lehrkamp family gained recognition through the works of Heinrich Lehrkamp (1832-1901), a renowned painter and artist who specialized in landscape and nature scenes. His paintings captured the beauty of the German countryside and were widely acclaimed for their realism and attention to detail.
The surname Lehrkamp also found its way into the literary world with the works of author and poet Ida Lehrkamp (1856-1932), whose writings focused on themes of love, nature, and the human condition. Her poetry collections and novels were well-received during her lifetime and continue to be studied and appreciated by scholars and literary enthusiasts.
Throughout its history, the surname Lehrkamp has been associated with individuals who have made significant contributions to various fields, including education, commerce, art, and literature. While its origins can be traced back to the northern regions of Germany, the name has since spread to other parts of the world, carried by those who have embraced its rich heritage and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lehrkamp
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehrkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lehrkamp 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 Lehrkamp surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.6% · 99
- American Indian and Alaska Native5.3% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lehrkamp
Lehrkamp 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,325 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,113 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 5,325 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 5,113 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 Lehrkamp 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 | #142,108 | #147,221 | -3.6% |
| Count | 117 | 113 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lehrkamp bearers went from 117 to 113 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 5,113 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #147,221.
FAQ
Lehrkamp surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lehrkamp?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Lehrkamp. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Lehrkamp?
Lehrkamp ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 113 people with the surname Lehrkamp. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Lehrkamp.
Has Lehrkamp become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lehrkamp went from 117 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Lehrkamp?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lehrkamp, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.6%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%) and Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Lehrkamp in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.6% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lehrkamp appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.6%), American Indian/Alaska Native (5.3%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Lehrkamp (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 Lehrkamp mean?
A German surname derived from a combination of "Lehr" meaning teaching or instruction and "Kamp" meaning battle or fight. 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 Lehrkamp (0.04 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 share the surname Lehrkamp?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.