Find out how popular the last name Lesher is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lesher.

Lesher, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lesher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lesher in America

Lesher is the 8144th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lesher surname appeared 4,070 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Lesher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lesher to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Lesher

The surname Lesher has its origins in the Germanic regions of Europe, with records dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "leschen," which means "to extinguish" or "to quench." This could suggest that the name may have been an occupational name for someone who worked as a firefighter or a person responsible for putting out fires.

One of the earliest known references to the name Lesher can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 9th century. The name appears in the form "Leschære," which indicates that it may have been used as a surname during this time period in the region that is now modern-day Germany.

In the 13th century, the name Lesher appears in the Rotulus Hundredorum, a survey of landholders in England, suggesting that individuals bearing this name may have migrated from the Germanic regions to England during this period.

The earliest known recorded instance of the name Lesher is Johann Lesher, born in 1492 in the town of Nuremberg, located in the region of Bavaria, Germany. Johann Lesher was a prominent merchant and trader during the Renaissance period.

Another notable individual with the surname Lesher was Hans Lesher (1517-1589), a German blacksmith and metalworker who is credited with developing innovative techniques for forging and tempering steel.

In the 17th century, the name Lesher appears in the records of the town of Heidelberg, where a family by the name of Lesher was involved in the winemaking industry. This suggests that the name may have been associated with certain occupations or trades in different regions.

Another notable figure with the surname Lesher was Johann Friedrich Lesher (1670-1732), a German theologian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the field of natural theology.

As the name Lesher spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Lescher, Leesher, and Leshur, which can be found in historical records from different regions.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, many individuals bearing the surname Lesher immigrated to the Americas, particularly to areas such as Pennsylvania and other parts of the United States, where they established communities and continued their respective trades and professions.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lesher

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lesher.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lesher was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lesher has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Lesher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lesher, please contact us.

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