2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lettenberger
A German surname referring to one from a place called "Lettenberg".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Lettenberger. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lettenberger 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Lettenberger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lettenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lettenberger
The surname Lettenberger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Wurttemberg. The name is derived from the Old German words "lett" or "letto," meaning "ditch" or "trench," and "berg," meaning "hill" or "mountain." Therefore, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a hill or mountain with a ditch or trench.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lettenberger name can be found in the Weissenau Monastery records from the 14th century, where a certain "Johannes Lettenberger" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Weissenau, located in present-day Baden-Wurttemberg. This suggests that the Lettenberger family had already established themselves as prominent landholders in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, the name appeared in various legal and administrative documents in the town of Augsburg, a prominent city in southern Germany. One notable figure was Hans Lettenberger, a merchant and member of the city council, who lived between 1520 and 1587. His descendants continued to play an influential role in the affairs of Augsburg for several generations.
Another notable figure bearing the Lettenberger name was Johann Michael Lettenberger (1704-1778), a renowned German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg. His writings on natural theology and metaphysics were widely influential in academic circles of the time.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, several Lettenbergers made their mark in the realm of literature and arts. Friedrich Lettenberger (1766-1839) was a German poet and playwright whose works were widely acclaimed for their lyrical quality and social commentary. His contemporary, Karl Lettenberger (1786-1853), was a celebrated composer and musician who composed numerous operas and orchestral works.
In the 20th century, the name Lettenberger gained prominence in the field of engineering and technology. Otto Lettenberger (1892-1968) was a pioneering German engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early aircraft designs and aerodynamics. His work played a crucial role in the advancement of aviation technology during the early years of flight.
Throughout its history, the Lettenberger surname has been associated with various regions and localities within Germany, reflecting the family's migration patterns and settlement in different areas over the centuries. While the name has undergone some variations in spelling, such as Lettenbeger, Lettenbercher, or Lettenberger, the core meaning and origins remain rooted in the German language and geography.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lettenberger
Among Census respondents with the surname Lettenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lettenberger 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 Lettenberger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.6% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino7.4% · 9
- Two or more races4.1% · 5
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lettenberger
Lettenberger 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,321 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-8 bearers (-6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,930 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 10,321 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.2%) | Down 9,930 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 Lettenberger 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 | #131,379 | #141,309 | -7.6% |
| Count | 129 | 121 | -6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lettenberger bearers went from 129 to 121 (-6.2% change). The surname moved down 9,930 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #141,309.
FAQ
Lettenberger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lettenberger?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Lettenberger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Lettenberger?
Lettenberger ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Lettenberger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Lettenberger.
Has Lettenberger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lettenberger went from 129 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 8 (-6.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Lettenberger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lettenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.4%) and Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Lettenberger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.6% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lettenberger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.6%), Hispanic (7.4%), Two or More Races (4.1%). 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 Lettenberger (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 Lettenberger mean?
A German surname referring to one from a place called "Lettenberg". 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 Lettenberger (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 have the last name Lettenberger?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Lettenberger, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.