2010
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Letkeman
A Russian surname derived from a dialect term meaning "callow youth" or "giddy person".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Letkeman. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Letkeman 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Letkeman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Letkeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Letkeman
The surname Letkeman is of Dutch origin, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 17th century. It is believed to have originated from the Dutch province of Friesland, where it was likely derived from the combination of the words "let" (meaning "to let" or "to allow") and "keman" (a variant spelling of the word "kemen," meaning "to come").
This surname may have been associated with individuals who were involved in the regulation or management of travel or migration, perhaps acting as gatekeepers or officials responsible for granting or denying passage. Alternatively, it could have been a descriptive name referring to someone who was welcoming or hospitable, allowing others to "come" or enter their premises.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Letkeman surname can be found in the Dutch church records of the city of Leeuwarden, dated 1642. This entry mentions a certain Renier Letkeman, who may have been one of the first bearers of this surname.
In the late 17th century, a notable figure with this surname was Jan Letkeman, a Dutch merchant and trader based in the city of Amsterdam. Born in 1669, he was known for his successful trading ventures with the Dutch East Indies Company.
Another historical figure was Pieter Letkeman, a Dutch painter and artist from the 18th century. Born in 1712 in the town of Hoorn, he gained recognition for his landscape paintings and portraits, many of which can still be found in various Dutch art museums and galleries.
Moving into the 19th century, there was a German-born philosopher named Friedrich Letkeman, who lived from 1801 to 1878. He was known for his works on ethics and moral philosophy, which were widely studied and discussed in academic circles of the time.
Lastly, in the early 20th century, a prominent figure with the Letkeman surname was Gerrit Letkeman, a Dutch politician and member of the House of Representatives in the Netherlands. Born in 1884, he served as a representative for the city of Rotterdam from 1920 to 1935 and was known for his advocacy of workers' rights and social welfare policies.
While the Letkeman surname may not be as widespread or prominent as some other Dutch surnames, it holds a rich history and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Letkeman
Among Census respondents with the surname Letkeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Letkeman 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 Letkeman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 101
- Hispanic or Latino11.0% · 13
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Letkeman
Letkeman appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,354 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 3,354 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 Letkeman 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 | #140,157 | #143,511 | -2.4% |
| Count | 119 | 118 | -0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Letkeman bearers went from 119 to 118 (-0.8% change). The surname moved down 3,354 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #143,511.
FAQ
Letkeman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Letkeman?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Letkeman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Letkeman?
Letkeman ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Letkeman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Letkeman.
Has Letkeman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Letkeman went from 119 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Letkeman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Letkeman, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (11.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Letkeman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Letkeman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Hispanic (11.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Letkeman (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 Letkeman mean?
A Russian surname derived from a dialect term meaning "callow youth" or "giddy person". 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 Letkeman (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 common is the surname Letkeman?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Letkeman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.