2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Liebengood
A German surname meaning "kind" or "benevolent" in nature.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Liebengood. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Liebengood 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Liebengood in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Liebengood, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Liebengood
The surname Liebengood is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in the areas that are now part of modern-day Germany and Switzerland. The name is thought to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 11th or 12th century.
The name Liebengood is derived from the German words "liebe," meaning "love," and "gut," meaning "good" or "property." It is likely that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname, referring to an individual who possessed a kind and affectionate nature or owned a prosperous estate.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Liebengood name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents dating back to the 13th century. In this compilation, there is a reference to a man named Johann Liebengood, who was a landowner in the region of Saxony.
Another notable historical figure bearing the Liebengood name was Hans Liebengood, a merchant and trader who lived in the city of Cologne during the 15th century. He was known for his success in the textile trade and his involvement in local politics.
In the 16th century, there was a prominent family of Liebengoods who resided in the town of Freiburg im Breisgau, located in the present-day state of Baden-Württemberg. This family was renowned for their contributions to the local community and their involvement in various civic and religious organizations.
One of the earliest documented instances of the Liebengood name in North America dates back to the late 17th century, when a man named Friedrich Liebengood emigrated from Germany to the British colonies in North America. He settled in the area that is now Pennsylvania and became a farmer.
Throughout the centuries, there have been several notable individuals who have borne the Liebengood surname. Some examples include:
1. Johann Liebengood (born c. 1280), a landowner and influential figure in Saxony during the 13th century.
2. Hans Liebengood (c. 1425 - 1492), a successful merchant and trader in Cologne, Germany.
3. Anna Liebengood (1560 - 1634), a prominent member of the Liebengood family in Freiburg im Breisgau, known for her philanthropic work.
4. Friedrich Liebengood (c. 1670 - 1745), an early settler in Pennsylvania who established a farm and helped build the local community.
5. Wilhelm Liebengood (1812 - 1887), a German-American architect and civil engineer who designed several notable buildings in the Midwest region of the United States.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Liebengood
Among Census respondents with the surname Liebengood, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Liebengood 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 Liebengood surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino8.7% · 10
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Liebengood
Liebengood 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-9 bearers (-8.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 19,955 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+14 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,955 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.2%) | Down 19,955 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 13,955 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 Liebengood 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 | #159,712 | #145,757 | 8.7% |
| Count | 101 | 115 | 13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Liebengood bearers went from 101 to 115 (+13.9% change). The surname moved up 13,955 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #145,757.
FAQ
Liebengood surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Liebengood?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Liebengood. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Liebengood?
Liebengood ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Liebengood. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Liebengood.
Has Liebengood become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Liebengood went from 101 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 14 (+13.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Liebengood?
Among Census respondents with the surname Liebengood, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.7%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Liebengood in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Liebengood appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.4%), Hispanic (8.7%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Liebengood (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 Liebengood mean?
A German surname meaning "kind" or "benevolent" in nature. 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 Liebengood (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 Liebengood?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.