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

Lessin, 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 Lessin surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lessin in America

Lessin is the 76533rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lessin surname appeared 251 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lessin.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lessin 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 Lessin

The surname Lessin has its origins in the Germanic and Slavic regions of Eastern Europe, particularly in the areas that are now modern-day Poland, Ukraine, and Belarus. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 12th to 14th centuries.

The name Lessin is thought to be derived from the Old Slavic word "les," meaning "forest" or "woods." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to refer to individuals who lived in or near forested areas or worked as foresters, woodcutters, or lumberjacks.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lessin can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Regni Poloniae, a collection of historical documents from medieval Poland. In this codex, a certain Petrus Lessin is mentioned in a document dated 1387, indicating the presence of the name in that region during that time period.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Lessin was Jan Lessin, a Polish nobleman and landowner who lived from approximately 1520 to 1587. He is recorded as having owned several estates in the vicinity of Kraków.

Another individual of historical significance was Andrzej Lessin, a Polish military officer who fought in the Polish-Swedish War of the mid-17th century. He was born around 1610 and served under King Jan Kazimierz, participating in various battles against the Swedish forces.

In the 18th century, a Russian nobleman named Ivan Lessin (1725-1798) gained prominence as a diplomat and statesman. He served as the Russian ambassador to several European courts, including those of Prussia and France.

During the 19th century, a German artist named Wilhelm Lessin (1839-1912) achieved recognition for his landscape paintings, which often depicted scenes from the Black Forest region of Germany.

Another notable figure was Mikhail Lessin (1870-1925), a Russian author and playwright who was part of the Symbolist literary movement. His works often explored philosophical and existential themes, and he is considered an important figure in the development of Russian modernist literature.

While the surname Lessin has its roots in Eastern Europe, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and diaspora communities. However, its earliest recorded instances and historical figures bearing this name can be traced back to the regions of Poland, Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lessin

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

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 Lessin 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 Lessin 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 Lessin was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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