2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lentfer
A surname derived from the French phrase "Lent fer" meaning slow iron or sluggish worker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Lentfer. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lentfer 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Lentfer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lentfer
The surname Lentfer has its origins in France, dating back to the medieval period. One theory suggests that it is derived from the Old French word "lente," meaning "lentil," potentially referring to someone who cultivated or sold lentils. Alternatively, it may have originated as a place name, possibly referring to a location with fertile soil suitable for growing lentils.
Historically, the Lentfer name can be traced back to various records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries. One notable mention is found in the Livre des Métiers, a 13th-century document detailing the trades and professions in Paris, where a certain Jehan Lentfer is listed as a blacksmith.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the Armorial Général de France, a compilation of noble families' coats of arms. This suggests that by that time, the Lentfer family had gained some prominence and recognition.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the Lentfer surname was Pierre Lentfer, born in 1487 in Burgundy, France. He was a respected vintner and is mentioned in local records for his contributions to the wine industry in the region.
Another notable figure was Marie Lentfer, born in 1623 in Normandy, France. She was a skilled weaver and is credited with introducing intricate tapestry designs to the region's textile industry.
In the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Lentfer (1712-1788) was a respected architect who designed several notable churches and public buildings in Paris and its surrounding areas.
Moving to the 19th century, Louis Lentfer (1854-1921) was a prominent French politician and diplomat who served as the ambassador to Russia from 1898 to 1905.
Finally, one cannot overlook the contributions of Émile Lentfer (1879-1957), a pioneering French aviator and aircraft designer. He is credited with developing some of the earliest lightweight aircraft designs and played a crucial role in the advancement of early aviation technology.
While the Lentfer surname may have had humble beginnings, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with various professions and notable figures throughout France's past.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lentfer
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lentfer 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 Lentfer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.5% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 3
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lentfer
Lentfer 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
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
+3 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,405 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.9%) | Up 4,405 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 Lentfer 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 | #156,044 | #151,639 | 2.8% |
| Count | 104 | 107 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lentfer bearers went from 104 to 107 (+2.9% change). The surname moved up 4,405 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #151,639.
FAQ
Lentfer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lentfer?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Lentfer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Lentfer?
Lentfer ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 107 people with the surname Lentfer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Lentfer.
Has Lentfer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lentfer went from 104 recorded bearers to 107. That is an increase of 3 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #156,044 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Lentfer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lentfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Lentfer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.5% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lentfer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.5%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Lentfer (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 Lentfer mean?
A surname derived from the French phrase "Lent fer" meaning slow iron or sluggish worker. 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 Lentfer (0.04 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 Lentfer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.