2000
#13,119
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,137
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.79
Rare Last name
Lerman
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Yiddish word "lernen," meaning "to learn" or "scholar."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,493 Americans carry the last name Lerman. That puts it at #13,394 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.73 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 137,487 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lerman 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
2.5K
1 in 137,487
Census rank
#13,394
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,174 bearers of the surname Lerman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.73 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13394th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lerman
The surname Lerman has its origins in the Yiddish language and is thought to have derived from the German word "Lernen," which means "to learn." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was a scholar or teacher, or perhaps a student or someone associated with education or learning.
The earliest known records of the Lerman surname date back to the late 18th century in Eastern Europe, particularly in areas that are now part of modern-day Poland, Belarus, and Ukraine. These regions had a significant Jewish population at the time, and many of the surnames adopted by Jewish families were derived from occupations, personal characteristics, or locations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lerman surname can be found in the 1795 census records of the town of Kobryn, which was then part of the Russian Empire (now located in modern-day Belarus). The record mentions a family with the surname Lerman, suggesting that the name had already been established by that time.
In the 19th century, the Lerman surname began to spread more widely as Jewish families migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond. Notable individuals with the Lerman surname during this period include:
1. Isidor Lerman (1815-1891), a Russian-born writer and journalist who settled in Germany and became a prominent figure in the German-Jewish literary scene.
2. Sarah Lerman (1832-1903), a philanthropist and activist who founded several Jewish charities and schools in the Russian Empire.
3. Jacob Lerman (1847-1915), a Polish-born businessman and industrialist who established successful textile factories in Łódź, Poland.
As the 20th century began, the Lerman surname spread further with the wave of Jewish emigration from Eastern Europe to the United States and other parts of the world. Some notable individuals with the Lerman surname from this period include:
4. Max Lerman (1902-1992), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Lerman Corporation, a successful real estate development company.
5. Lillian Lerman (1915-2005), an American dancer and choreographer who founded the Lerman Dance Exchange and made significant contributions to modern dance.
Throughout its history, the Lerman surname has been associated with a diverse range of professions and achievements, from business and industry to the arts and academia, reflecting the varied backgrounds and interests of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lerman
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lerman 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 Lerman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 1,999
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 97
- Two or more races1.8% · 40
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.3% · 28
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lerman
Lerman 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
#13,440
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,266
+129 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 321 places
2020
#13,394
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,174
-92 bearers (-4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Up 46 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,119 | 2,137 | 0.79 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,440 | 2,266 | 0.77 | +129 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 321 places |
| 2020 | #13,394 | 2,174 | 0.73 | -92 bearers (-4.1%) | Up 46 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 Lerman 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 | #13,440 | #13,394 | 0.3% |
| Count | 2,266 | 2,174 | -4.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.73 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lerman bearers went from 2,266 to 2,174 (-4.1% change). The surname moved up 46 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,440 to #13,394.
FAQ
Lerman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lerman?
Name Census estimates that about 2,493 living Americans carry the surname Lerman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 137,487 residents.
How common is Lerman?
Lerman ranks #13,394 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.73 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 2,174 people with the surname Lerman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,493), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.73 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.73 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 Lerman.
Has Lerman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lerman went from 2,266 recorded bearers to 2,174. That is a decrease of 92 (-4.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,440 to #13,394.
What does the Census say about the background of Lerman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Lerman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (1,999 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lerman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (4.5%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Lerman (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 Lerman mean?
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Yiddish word "lernen," meaning "to learn" or "scholar." 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 Lerman (0.73 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 Lerman?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Lerman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.