2000
#116,835
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 138
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Letzelter
A habitational surname derived from a German place name meaning "last one" or "final one".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 180 Americans carry the last name Letzelter. That puts it at #117,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,904,191 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Letzelter 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
180
1 in 1,904,191
Census rank
#117,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
157
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 157 bearers of the surname Letzelter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 117309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Letzelter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Letzelter
The surname Letzelter is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known records dating back to the late medieval period around the 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "Letzter," which means "last" or "final," suggesting that the name may have been given to a youngest child or the last person to settle in a particular area.
One of the earliest known references to the Letzelter name can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Letzelter was listed as a citizen in the year 1387. This indicates that the name was already established and in use by that time.
In the 15th century, the Letzelter name appears in various documents and records from different regions of Germany, such as the city of Cologne, where a Johannes Letzelter was recorded as a merchant in 1472. This suggests that the name had spread to various parts of the country by then.
During the 16th century, the Letzelter name became more prominent, with several individuals bearing this surname making notable contributions to various fields. One such person was Matthias Letzelter (1515-1580), a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.
Another notable figure was Johann Letzelter (1564-1638), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of the Margraviate of Brandenburg-Ansbach. His works, including several masses and motets, were highly regarded during his time.
In the 17th century, the Letzelter name continued to appear in various records and documents across Germany. One example is the mention of a certain Jakob Letzelter in the church records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1632, where he was listed as a resident.
As the centuries passed, the Letzelter surname spread beyond Germany, with individuals bearing this name migrating to other parts of Europe and even to the Americas. For instance, in the late 18th century, there are records of a Johannes Letzelter who settled in the Dutch colony of Suriname in South America.
It is worth noting that variations in the spelling of the Letzelter name have been observed over time, with forms such as Letzlter, Letzeltter, and Letzzelter appearing in various historical records. These variations may have arisen due to regional dialects, transcription errors, or personal preferences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Letzelter
Among Census respondents with the surname Letzelter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Letzelter 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 Letzelter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 141
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 8
- Two or more races5.1% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Letzelter
Letzelter 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
#111,426
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 158
+20 bearers (+14.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 5,409 places
2020
#117,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
-1 bearers (-0.6%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 5,883 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #116,835 | 138 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #111,426 | 158 | 0.05 | +20 bearers (+14.5%) | Up 5,409 places |
| 2020 | #117,309 | 157 | 0.05 | -1 bearers (-0.6%) | Down 5,883 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 Letzelter 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 | #111,426 | #117,309 | -5.3% |
| Count | 158 | 157 | -0.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Letzelter bearers went from 158 to 157 (-0.6% change). The surname moved down 5,883 positions in the national ranking, going from #111,426 to #117,309.
FAQ
Letzelter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Letzelter?
Name Census estimates that about 180 living Americans carry the surname Letzelter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,904,191 residents.
How common is Letzelter?
Letzelter ranks #117,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 157 people with the surname Letzelter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (180), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Letzelter.
Has Letzelter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Letzelter went from 158 recorded bearers to 157. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #111,426 to #117,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Letzelter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Letzelter, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Letzelter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (141 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Letzelter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (5.1%), Two or More Races (5.1%). 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 Letzelter (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 Letzelter mean?
A habitational surname derived from a German place name meaning "last one" or "final one". 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 Letzelter (0.05 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 Letzelter?
If you just want to know how many people are called Letzelter, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.