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

Letcher, 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 Letcher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Letcher in America

Letcher is the 14296th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Letcher surname appeared 2,094 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 Letcher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Letcher 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 Letcher

The surname Letcher is believed to have originated in England during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old English word "leccan," which means "to water or moisten." This suggests that the name may have been an occupational surname for someone who worked with water or lived near a body of water.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Letcher can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appears as "Lecchare" in the county of Lincolnshire. This historical document provides valuable insights into the distribution and prevalence of surnames in various regions of England during the 11th century.

In the 13th century, the name Letcher was documented in various forms, such as "Leccher," "Lechour," and "Lechur." These spelling variations reflect the evolving nature of surnames and the influence of regional dialects on their pronunciation and written forms.

The name Letcher has also been associated with several place names throughout England. For instance, the village of Letcher in Worcestershire, which was recorded as "Lecchyre" in the 13th century, may have contributed to the surname's origins.

Notable individuals with the surname Letcher include Robert Gould Letcher (1788-1861), who served as Governor of Kentucky from 1840 to 1844. Another prominent figure was John Letcher (1813-1884), a lawyer and politician who served as the 34th Governor of Virginia during the American Civil War.

In the literary realm, Oliver Letcher (1799-1846) was an English poet and essayist who gained recognition for his works on nature and rural life. Additionally, John Letcher (1758-1819) was a British naval officer who played a significant role in several battles during the Napoleonic Wars.

The name Letcher has also been associated with various professions and trades throughout history. For example, William Letcher (1590-1671) was a renowned English glassmaker and entrepreneur who established one of the first successful glassworks in London.

While the surname Letcher has its roots in England, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and cultural exchange. It continues to be a recognizable surname, carrying with it a rich history and connection to various occupations, places, and notable individuals from the past.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Letcher

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!