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

Letner, 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 Letner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Letner in America

Letner is the 46811th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Letner surname appeared 454 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 Letner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Letner 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 Letner

The surname Letner is of German origin, first appearing in records from the late 15th century in Bavaria and surrounding regions. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "letner," meaning "pulpit" or "lectern." This suggests the name may have originated as an occupational surname for someone who crafted or worked with pulpits or lecterns in churches.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Letner surname can be found in a 1487 census record from the town of Nürnberg, where a Hans Letner is listed as a carpenter. Another early reference is a 1512 baptismal record from the village of Oberreichenbach, which mentions a Claus Letner.

In the 16th century, the Letner name began appearing in other parts of Germany, such as Saxony and Thuringia. A notable bearer of the name during this time was Johann Letner (1516-1592), a Protestant theologian and author from Wittenberg who wrote several treatises on religious reform.

As the Letner family spread across Germany in the 17th and 18th centuries, various spelling variations emerged, including Lettner, Lethner, and Lötner. One early example is the artist Georg Letner (1625-1688) from Dresden, who was known for his intricate woodcarvings and altarpieces.

In the 19th century, the Letner name began to appear in other parts of Europe, including Austria and Switzerland. One prominent figure was the Swiss politician and lawyer Franz Joseph Letner (1821-1892), who served as a member of the National Council of Switzerland.

Other notable individuals with the Letner surname include the German composer and organist Carl August Letner (1797-1865), the Austrian painter and engraver Josef Letner (1828-1891), and the German-American businessman and philanthropist August Letner (1849-1923), who founded the Letner Brewing Company in St. Louis, Missouri.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Letner

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

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

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

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