2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Letherman
A locational surname originating in Germany, potentially referring to Lothringen or Lorraine.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Letherman. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Letherman 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Letherman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Letherman, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Letherman
The surname LETHERMAN is believed to have originated in England, likely during the medieval period. It is thought to be a locational name, derived from a place name that no longer exists or has since been absorbed into a larger town or city.
One possible origin is that the name LETHERMAN may have been derived from the Old English words "læthere" and "mann," which together meant "leatherworker" or "tanner." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this surname may have been individuals who worked with leather, either as tanners or as craftsmen who produced leather goods.
Another theory is that the name LETHERMAN is a variant spelling of the surname "Leatherman," which is also believed to be of English origin. Leatherman is thought to have originated as a descriptive occupational surname, referring to someone who worked with leather or traded in leather goods.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname LETHERMAN are relatively scarce, as many historical records have been lost or damaged over time. However, some mentions of the name can be found in various parish records and tax rolls from the 16th and 17th centuries.
One notable individual with the surname LETHERMAN was John Letherman, who was born in Lincolnshire, England, in 1624. He was a merchant and landowner who played a role in the colonization of Virginia in the mid-17th century.
Another individual of historical significance was Elizabeth Letherman (1670-1742), who was born in Oxfordshire, England. She was a prominent Quaker and a vocal advocate for women's rights and religious freedom during her lifetime.
In the 18th century, a man named Thomas Letherman (1712-1789) was a respected clockmaker and inventor who lived in London. He is credited with developing several innovative timepiece designs and was a member of the Clockmakers' Company.
During the 19th century, a family of LETHERMAN settled in the American Midwest, and one of their descendants, William Letherman (1837-1917), became a notable figure in the early railroad industry. He worked as a civil engineer and was responsible for surveying and constructing several major railroad lines in the United States.
Another individual worth mentioning is Mary Letherman (1861-1943), who was born in Lancashire, England, and later emigrated to Canada. She was a respected educator and author who wrote several books on teaching methods and children's literature.
While the surname LETHERMAN is not among the most common surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to various regions of England. The name has been borne by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including merchants, artisans, inventors, and educators, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who carried this surname throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Letherman
Among Census respondents with the surname Letherman, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Letherman 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 Letherman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.9% · 95
- Black or African American3.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Letherman
Letherman 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-5 bearers (-4.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,310 places
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-13 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,922 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.3%) | Down 14,310 places |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 7,922 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 Letherman 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 | #148,347 | #156,269 | -5.3% |
| Count | 111 | 98 | -11.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Letherman bearers went from 111 to 98 (-11.7% change). The surname moved down 7,922 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #156,269.
FAQ
Letherman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Letherman?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Letherman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Letherman?
Letherman ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Letherman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Letherman.
Has Letherman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Letherman went from 111 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Letherman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Letherman, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Black (3.1%). 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 Letherman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Letherman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.9%), Black (3.1%). 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 Letherman (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 Letherman mean?
A locational surname originating in Germany, potentially referring to Lothringen or Lorraine. 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 Letherman (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Letherman?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.