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

Leister, 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 Leister surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Leister in America

Leister is the 10800th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Leister surname appeared 2,952 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Leister.

We can also compare 2010 data for Leister 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 Leister

The surname LEISTER has its origins in the Germanic region of Europe, specifically in the areas that are now modern-day Germany and the Netherlands. It is believed to have first emerged in the Middle Ages, possibly as early as the 11th or 12th century.

One theory suggests that the name LEISTER is derived from an old German word "leisten," which means "to perform" or "to accomplish." This could indicate that the name was initially given to someone who excelled at a particular craft or profession. Alternatively, it may have been a descriptive surname for someone who was known for their diligence and hard work.

Another possibility is that the name originated from a place name. There are several locations in Germany and the Netherlands with names similar to LEISTER, such as Leisten, Leisterbach, and Leistringen. It was common practice in medieval times for people to take on surnames based on the place they were born or lived.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEISTER can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, Germany. In this codex, a man named Conradus Leister is mentioned in a document dated 1324.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the surname LEISTER. One such person was Johann Leister (1561-1612), a German composer and organist who served at the court of Saxony. Another was Johann Caspar Leister (1640-1693), a German painter and engraver known for his religious and allegorical works.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Leister (1719-1767) was a German theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious topics. Later, in the 19th century, Johann Leister (1819-1884) was a prominent German architect who designed several notable buildings in the city of Frankfurt.

Moving into the 20th century, one of the most famous individuals with the LEISTER surname was Wilhelm Leister (1900-1986), a German politician and member of the Nazi party. He served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) during the Third Reich.

While the name LEISTER may have originated in Germany and the Netherlands, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through migration and immigration. However, the earliest recorded examples and historical references remain rooted in the Germanic regions of Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Leister

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

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

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

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