2010
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lichtefeld
A name likely derived from a town or place name containing the elements "licht" (light) and "feld" (field).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 124 Americans carry the last name Lichtefeld. That puts it at #150,935 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,764,148 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lichtefeld 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
124
1 in 2,764,148
Census rank
#150,935
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
108
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 108 bearers of the surname Lichtefeld in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150935th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lichtefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lichtefeld
The surname Lichtefeld is of German origin, emerging in the late 13th century. It is derived from the Old German words "licht" meaning light and "feld" meaning field, likely referring to a place name or a descriptor of where the original bearers lived or worked. The earliest known recording of the name dates back to 1293 in the town of Nürnberg, where a Wilhelm Lichtefeld is mentioned in local records.
In the 14th century, the name appears in various forms such as Lichtevelt, Lichtefelt, and Lychtefeld in regions across central Germany. One notable early bearer was Hans Lichtefeld, a prominent merchant and landowner in the town of Erfurt, born around 1345. His family's wealth and influence are documented in several historical accounts from the late 1300s.
The Lichtefeld name is also found in the Bürgermeisterbuch, a municipal record book from the city of Augsburg, dating back to the early 1400s. Here, a Johann Lichtefeld is listed as a respected citizen and landowner in the year 1412.
As the surname spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, including Lichtenfelde, Lichtenfeld, and Lichtfeldt. In the 16th century, a notable bearer was Matthias Lichtefeld, a Lutheran theologian and scholar born in 1528 in Saxony. His writings and teachings played a significant role in the Reformation movement.
Another prominent figure was Johann Lichtefeld, a military officer and strategist who served under Gustavus Adolphus during the Thirty Years' War in the early 1600s. His tactical contributions were instrumental in several key battles, and he is mentioned in various historical accounts of the era.
Throughout the centuries, the Lichtefeld surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including artisans, scholars, and religious figures. One such example is Carl Lichtefeld, a German painter and engraver born in 1783, whose works were widely acclaimed during his lifetime.
While the surname Lichtefeld is not among the most common in modern times, its rich history and diverse bearers have left an indelible mark on German heritage and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lichtefeld
Among Census respondents with the surname Lichtefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lichtefeld 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 Lichtefeld surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 104
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lichtefeld
Lichtefeld 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
#150,935
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,794 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,935 | 108 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 6,794 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 Lichtefeld 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 | #144,141 | #150,935 | -4.7% |
| Count | 115 | 108 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lichtefeld bearers went from 115 to 108 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 6,794 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #150,935.
FAQ
Lichtefeld surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lichtefeld?
Name Census estimates that about 124 living Americans carry the surname Lichtefeld. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,764,148 residents.
How common is Lichtefeld?
Lichtefeld ranks #150,935 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 108 people with the surname Lichtefeld. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (124), 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 Lichtefeld.
Has Lichtefeld become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lichtefeld went from 115 recorded bearers to 108. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #150,935.
What does the Census say about the background of Lichtefeld?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lichtefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Black (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Lichtefeld in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lichtefeld appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Black (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Lichtefeld (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 Lichtefeld mean?
A name likely derived from a town or place name containing the elements "licht" (light) and "feld" (field). 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 Lichtefeld (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 share the surname Lichtefeld?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.