2000
#124,872
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 127
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lerz
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Lerz. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lerz 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Lerz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerz, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lerz
The surname Lerz originated in Germany, likely in the late 12th or early 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "lerche," meaning "lark," which was a type of small songbird. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone who was known for singing or having a melodious voice.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lerz can be found in the historical records of the city of Cologne, where a certain Henricus Lerz was mentioned in a document dated 1295. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, there are records of a family with the surname Lerz residing in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. The family was involved in the local textile trade, and their name appeared in various guild records and municipal documents of the time.
During the 16th century, the name Lerz began to spread beyond its original German heartland. In 1532, a man named Hans Lerz was recorded as a citizen of the city of Zurich, Switzerland, indicating that the name had crossed the border into neighboring regions.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Lerz was Johann Lerz (1592-1670), a Protestant theologian and author from Nuremberg. He was a prolific writer and published several works on religious topics, including a commentary on the Book of Psalms.
In the 18th century, the name Lerz appears to have been relatively widespread across various German states and principalities. For example, records show that a family with the surname Lerz was living in the town of Marktbreit, located in the present-day state of Bavaria, during this period.
Another notable figure with the surname Lerz was Karl Lerz (1805-1888), a German author and journalist from the town of Ludwigsburg in Württemberg. He was a prolific writer and contributed to various publications, including the influential Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper.
As the 19th century progressed, the name Lerz continued to be found across different parts of Germany and neighboring regions. For instance, a man named Franz Lerz (1825-1901) was born in the town of Mühlhausen in present-day Thuringia, and went on to become a successful businessman and industrialist.
Overall, while the surname Lerz is not among the most common in Germany, it has a long and well-documented history, with its origins traceable back to the medieval period. Throughout the centuries, individuals with this name have made contributions in various fields, including theology, literature, and business.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lerz
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerz, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lerz 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 Lerz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.2% · 110
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lerz
Lerz 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-8 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,285 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-7 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,797 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,872 | 127 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 15,285 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 7,797 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 Lerz 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 | #140,157 | #147,954 | -5.6% |
| Count | 119 | 112 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lerz bearers went from 119 to 112 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 7,797 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #147,954.
FAQ
Lerz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lerz?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Lerz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Lerz?
Lerz ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Lerz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Lerz.
Has Lerz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lerz went from 119 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Lerz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lerz, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.2%. The next largest groups are 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 Lerz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.2% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lerz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.2%), 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 Lerz (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 Lerz mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Germany. 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 Lerz (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 have the last name Lerz?
Find out how many people are called Lerz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.