Letterman
A surname derived from the word "letter", likely referring to someone who wrote or delivered letters.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 720 Americans carry the last name Letterman. That puts it at #35,945 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.21 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 476,048 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Letterman surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
720
1 in 476,048
Census rank
#35,945
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
624
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 624 bearers of the surname Letterman in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 35945th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Letterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Letterman
The surname Letterman is of English origin, derived from the Old English word "lettere," which referred to a person who wrote letters or documents. It first emerged in the 13th century, during the Middle Ages, in various regions of England.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Letterman surname can be found in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals by their occupations. The name appeared as "William le Lettere" in Oxfordshire, indicating that he was a professional scribe or letter writer.
In the 14th century, the surname was sometimes spelled as "Literman" or "Lytterman," reflecting the variations in Middle English spelling and pronunciation. During this period, the Letterman name was concentrated in the counties of Oxfordshire, Berkshire, and Wiltshire, where many families worked as scribes or clerks for the Church or local nobility.
The Letterman surname is also associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One example is John Letterman (c. 1510–1584), an English Protestant reformer and bishop of London from 1576 until his death. Another is Jonathan Letterman (1824–1872), a surgeon in the Union Army during the American Civil War, who is credited with establishing the first modern ambulance corps and pioneering battlefield medicine.
In the 16th century, the Letterman name appeared in various parish records and tax rolls across England. For instance, the 1586 Subsidy Rolls for Wiltshire listed a "John Letterman" as a resident of the town of Malmesbury.
Other notable individuals with the Letterman surname include Charles Letterman (1842–1919), an American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Letterman Hospital in San Francisco, and William Letterman (1903–1996), an American painter and printmaker known for his works depicting urban life in New York City.
Overall, the surname Letterman has a rich history dating back to medieval England, where it originated as an occupational name for those involved in the writing and documentation of letters and manuscripts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Letterman
Among Census respondents with the surname Letterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Letterman bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Letterman surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2%
- Hispanic or Latino2.9%
- Two or more races2.1%
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3%
- Black or African American0.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8%
Year on year
2010 vs 2010 Census
How has the Letterman surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2010 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #35,945 | #35,945 | 0.0% |
| Count | 624 | 624 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.21 | 0.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2010 Census, the number of Letterman bearers went from 624 to 624 (+0.0% change). The surname held its position in the national ranking, going from #35,945 to #35,945.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Letterman
FAQ
Letterman surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Letterman?
The surname Letterman holds position #35,945 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 720 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.21 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Letterman surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Letterman, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.