2010
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lentell
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "fertile land."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Lentell. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lentell 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Lentell in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lentell
The surname Lentell originated in England, with records dating back to the late 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old French word "lentille," meaning lentil, which suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who grew or sold lentils.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lentell can be found in the Pipe Rolls of Nottinghamshire from 1195, where a William Lentell is mentioned. The name also appears in the Feet of Fines for Essex in 1224, referring to a Robert Lentell.
During the Middle Ages, the name Lentell was particularly prevalent in the counties of Essex, Hertfordshire, and Buckinghamshire. It is possible that the name was associated with the village of Lentells, which was located near the town of Aylesbury in Buckinghamshire.
In the 14th century, a John Lentell was recorded as a landowner in the village of Little Hallingbury, Essex. Another notable figure from this time period was Roger Lentell, who was mentioned in the Patent Rolls of 1363 as a merchant from London.
During the 16th century, the spelling of the name evolved, with variations such as Lentall, Lentill, and Lentall appearing in records. One prominent individual from this era was William Lentall (1525-1601), who served as a member of parliament for the borough of Maldon in Essex.
In the 17th century, the Lentell family had established themselves as landowners and gentry in various parts of England. John Lentell (1628-1688) was a notable figure from this period, serving as a justice of the peace and a deputy lieutenant for the county of Buckinghamshire.
Another significant individual with the surname Lentell was Sir John Lentell (1683-1745), who was a member of parliament for the borough of Hertford and served as a commissioner of the Customs. He was also recognized for his contributions to the improvement of the town of Hertford.
Throughout history, the Lentell surname has been associated with various professions, including agriculture, trade, and public service. While the name may have originated from an occupational reference, it has endured as a distinct English surname for centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lentell
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lentell 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 Lentell surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 94
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 9
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lentell
Lentell appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,317 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Up 1,317 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 Lentell 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 | #154,907 | #153,590 | 0.9% |
| Count | 105 | 104 | -1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lentell bearers went from 105 to 104 (-1.0% change). The surname moved up 1,317 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #153,590.
FAQ
Lentell surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lentell?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Lentell. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Lentell?
Lentell ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Lentell. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Lentell.
Has Lentell become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lentell went from 105 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 1 (-1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Lentell?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentell, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Lentell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lentell appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (8.7%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Lentell (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 Lentell mean?
An English surname derived from a place name meaning "fertile land." 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 Lentell (0.03 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 Lentell?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.