2000
#8,667
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,493
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Leitner
A German toponymic surname indicating someone from any of several places named Leiten, derived from a word meaning "slope."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,979 Americans carry the last name Leitner. That puts it at #9,035 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 86,141 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leitner 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Leitner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 86,141
Census rank
#9,035
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,470 bearers of the surname Leitner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9035th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leitner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leitner
The surname LEITNER originated in the German-speaking regions of central Europe, primarily in modern-day Germany and Austria. It likely emerged during the late medieval period or the Renaissance era, around the 14th to 16th centuries. The name is derived from the German word "Leiter," which means "ladder" or "stairway," suggesting a connection to an ancestor's occupation or a distinctive feature of their property or residence.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LEITNER surname can be found in the parish records of the town of Reutte in Tyrol, Austria, dating back to the late 15th century. The name also appears in various historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries in regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Silesia.
Interestingly, the LEITNER surname has been linked to several notable individuals throughout history. One such figure is Johann Baptist Leitner (1755-1838), an Austrian painter and engraver renowned for his landscape and religious works. Another notable LEITNER was Karl Gottfried Leitner (1800-1890), a German author and philosopher who wrote extensively on aesthetics and art criticism.
In the 19th century, the LEITNER surname gained prominence through the efforts of Gottlieb William Leitner (1840-1899), a renowned British orientalist and educator. Born in Hungary, he made significant contributions to the study of Arabic, Persian, and Urdu languages and served as the Principal of the Government College in Lahore, British India.
Another prominent figure with the LEITNER surname was Alphons Leitner (1888-1949), an Austrian actor and film director who worked extensively in the German film industry during the early 20th century. He is known for his collaborations with renowned directors such as Fritz Lang and G.W. Pabst.
The LEITNER surname has also been associated with place names and geographic locations. For instance, the village of Leitner in Lower Austria bears a striking resemblance to the surname, suggesting a potential connection to a place of origin for some LEITNER families.
While the LEITNER name has its roots in central Europe, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to the surname can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Europe, where it originated and gained prominence over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leitner
Among Census respondents with the surname Leitner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Leitner 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 Leitner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 3,166
- Two or more races3.4% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 116
- Black or African American1.0% · 36
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 29
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leitner
Leitner 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
#8,266
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,010
+517 bearers (+14.8%)
Per 100,000 1.36
Rank movement Up 401 places
2020
#9,035
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,470
-540 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 1.16
Rank movement Down 769 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,667 | 3,493 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,266 | 4,010 | 1.36 | +517 bearers (+14.8%) | Up 401 places |
| 2020 | #9,035 | 3,470 | 1.16 | -540 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 769 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 Leitner 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 | #8,266 | #9,035 | -9.3% |
| Count | 4,010 | 3,470 | -13.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.36 | 1.16 | -14.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leitner bearers went from 4,010 to 3,470 (-13.5% change). The surname moved down 769 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,266 to #9,035.
FAQ
Leitner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leitner?
Name Census estimates that about 3,979 living Americans carry the surname Leitner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 86,141 residents.
How common is Leitner?
Leitner ranks #9,035 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.16 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,470 people with the surname Leitner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,979), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.16 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Leitner.
Has Leitner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leitner went from 4,010 recorded bearers to 3,470. That is a decrease of 540 (-13.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,266 to #9,035.
What does the Census say about the background of Leitner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leitner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.4%) and Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Leitner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (3,166 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leitner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (3.4%), Hispanic (3.3%). 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 Leitner (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 Leitner mean?
A German toponymic surname indicating someone from any of several places named Leiten, derived from a word meaning "slope." 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 Leitner (1.16 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 Leitner?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Leitner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.