2000
#10,860
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,694
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Lemasters
Derived from the Old French "le maistre," an occupational surname denoting a master craftsman or a person of authority.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,917 Americans carry the last name Lemasters. That puts it at #11,775 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.85 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 117,502 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lemasters 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
2.9K
1 in 117,502
Census rank
#11,775
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,544 bearers of the surname Lemasters in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.85 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11775th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemasters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lemasters
The surname LEMASTERS is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as an occupational name, referring to a master or overseer of a group of workers or servants, particularly those employed in a manor or estate.
The name LEMASTERS is thought to be derived from the Old French term "le maistre," which translates to "the master" or "the head." This term was likely adopted into the English language during the Norman Conquest of England in 1066, when many French words and names were introduced to the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name LEMASTERS can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, dated 1170, where a certain William Le Maistre is mentioned. This historical document provides evidence of the name's existence and usage during the 12th century.
In the 13th century, the name LEMASTERS appeared in various forms, such as Le Maister and Le Mestre, in various regions of England, including Lincolnshire, Oxfordshire, and Cambridgeshire. These variations in spelling were common during that era, as standardized spelling conventions had not yet been established.
Notable individuals with the surname LEMASTERS throughout history include Sir John Lemasters (1490-1556), who served as a member of the English Parliament and was knighted for his service during the reign of King Henry VIII. Another prominent figure was William Lemasters (1620-1689), a successful merchant and landowner in the county of Suffolk.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name LEMASTERS spread to other parts of the British Isles, including Scotland and Ireland. In the late 18th century, John Lemasters (1752-1822) was a renowned Scottish poet and playwright, known for his works celebrating the cultural heritage of the Highlands.
As the British Empire expanded, the name LEMASTERS was carried to various colonies and territories around the world. In the early 19th century, James Lemasters (1785-1862) was a pioneer settler in Upper Canada, now known as Ontario, Canada, and played a significant role in the development of the region.
Another notable individual with the surname LEMASTERS was Elizabeth Lemasters (1865-1942), a prominent suffragette and advocate for women's rights in the United States. She was actively involved in the campaign for women's suffrage and played a crucial role in the passage of the 19th Amendment, which granted American women the right to vote.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lemasters
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemasters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Lemasters 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 Lemasters surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 2,322
- Two or more races4.6% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 67
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 17
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lemasters
Lemasters 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
#11,170
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,832
+138 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 310 places
2020
#11,775
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,544
-288 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 605 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,860 | 2,694 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,170 | 2,832 | 0.96 | +138 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 310 places |
| 2020 | #11,775 | 2,544 | 0.85 | -288 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 605 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 Lemasters 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 | #11,170 | #11,775 | -5.4% |
| Count | 2,832 | 2,544 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.85 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lemasters bearers went from 2,832 to 2,544 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 605 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,170 to #11,775.
FAQ
Lemasters surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lemasters?
Name Census estimates that about 2,917 living Americans carry the surname Lemasters. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 117,502 residents.
How common is Lemasters?
Lemasters ranks #11,775 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.85 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 2,544 people with the surname Lemasters. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,917), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.85 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.85 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 Lemasters.
Has Lemasters become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lemasters went from 2,832 recorded bearers to 2,544. That is a decrease of 288 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,170 to #11,775.
What does the Census say about the background of Lemasters?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lemasters, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Lemasters in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (2,322 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lemasters appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Lemasters (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 Lemasters mean?
Derived from the Old French "le maistre," an occupational surname denoting a master craftsman or a person of authority. 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 Lemasters (0.85 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 Lemasters?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.