2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lessler
An English surname derived from the occupational term "lesser", referring to a harvester or crop gatherer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Lessler. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lessler 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Lessler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lessler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lessler
The surname Lessler is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century. The name is derived from the German word "Lässler," which means "a maker of lace or ribbons." This suggests that the name was originally an occupational surname given to those who were involved in the lace-making or ribbon-weaving trade.
The earliest recorded instances of the Lessler name can be found in various German records and documents from the 16th and 17th centuries. One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Hans Lessler, a lace-maker from the town of Nuremberg, who was born around 1525.
In the 17th century, the Lessler name appeared in several town and village records in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. This indicates that the name had begun to spread throughout the country, likely due to the migration of lace-makers and ribbon-weavers seeking employment opportunities.
One notable individual with the Lessler surname was Johann Lessler, a renowned lace-maker from the city of Dresden, who lived from 1680 to 1742. His intricate lace designs were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy merchants of the time.
Another significant figure was Wilhelm Lessler, born in 1795 in the town of Freiburg. He was a successful businessman and philanthropist who donated a considerable portion of his wealth to support education and social welfare initiatives in his community.
In the 19th century, the Lessler name began to spread beyond Germany, as some individuals emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Karl Lessler, born in 1825 in Berlin, who later settled in the United States and became a respected civil engineer, contributing to the construction of several important infrastructure projects.
It is worth mentioning that the spelling of the surname has remained relatively consistent over time, with only minor variations such as "Lessler," "Lässler," or "Laessler" being observed in historical records.
Throughout its history, the Lessler surname has been associated with various trades and professions, including lace-making, ribbon-weaving, business, engineering, and philanthropy. While the name may not be as widely recognized as some other German surnames, it holds a significant place in the cultural and occupational history of Germany and its neighboring regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lessler
Among Census respondents with the surname Lessler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lessler 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 Lessler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 102
- Two or more races8.5% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lessler
Lessler 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-5 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,340 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-6 bearers (-4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,821 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 12,340 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.9%) | Down 7,821 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 Lessler 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 | #136,449 | #144,270 | -5.7% |
| Count | 123 | 117 | -4.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lessler bearers went from 123 to 117 (-4.9% change). The surname moved down 7,821 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #144,270.
FAQ
Lessler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lessler?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Lessler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Lessler?
Lessler ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Lessler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Lessler.
Has Lessler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lessler went from 123 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Lessler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lessler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (8.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Lessler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lessler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.2%), Two or More Races (8.5%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Lessler (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 Lessler mean?
An English surname derived from the occupational term "lesser", referring to a harvester or crop gatherer. 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 Lessler (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 Lessler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.