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

Leininger, 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 Leininger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leininger in America

Leininger is the 7021st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leininger surname appeared 4,765 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 Leininger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leininger 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 Leininger

The surname Leininger has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a locational name, derived from the town of Leiningen, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of western Germany. The name is believed to have originated from the Old High German word "lina," meaning "flax" or "linen," suggesting that the town was known for its linen industry.

The earliest known record of the name Leininger dates back to the 13th century, when it appears in various medieval documents and records from the region. One notable early reference is found in the Codex Laureshamensis, a medieval cartulary from the Lorsch Abbey, which mentions a "Heinricus de Leiningen" in the year 1268.

In the 14th century, the Leininger family gained prominence as members of the noble class in the Holy Roman Empire. They held territories and estates in the Palatinate region and were closely associated with the Count of Leiningen-Westerburg, whose ancestral seat was the town of Leiningen.

One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Leininger was Johann Leininger (c. 1330 - 1402), a knight and Lord of Leiningen-Westerburg. Another notable figure was Friedrich Leininger (1486 - 1558), a German nobleman and courtier who served as a counselor to the Elector Palatine.

In the 16th century, the name Leininger began to spread beyond the Rhineland-Palatinate region as people migrated to other parts of Europe. This led to variations in spelling, such as Leininger, Leyninger, and Leiningher.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, several individuals with the surname Leininger achieved recognition in various fields. For example, Johann Georg Leininger (1639 - 1711) was a German composer and organist, while Christian Friedrich Leininger (1733 - 1809) was a noted theologian and author.

As the name spread across Europe, it also found its way to other parts of the world through emigration. One notable bearer of the surname was Jacob Leininger (1783 - 1868), a German-American pioneer and settler in Pennsylvania, who played a significant role in the early development of the region.

Throughout its history, the surname Leininger has been associated with various professions and achievements, from nobility and politics to art, music, and literature. While its origins can be traced back to a small town in western Germany, the name has since become a part of the cultural fabric of many countries around the world.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leininger

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

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

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

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