2000
#11,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,590
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.96
Rare Last name
Lieber
A German and Jewish surname meaning "dearer" or "more beloved," derived from the German word "lieb" (dear).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,869 Americans carry the last name Lieber. That puts it at #11,946 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 119,468 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lieber 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
2.9K
1 in 119,468
Census rank
#11,946
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,502 bearers of the surname Lieber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11946th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lieber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lieber
The surname Lieber originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. The name is derived from the German word "lieb," meaning "dear" or "beloved," suggesting that it may have been initially used as a nickname or a term of endearment.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Lieber can be traced back to the 13th century in various German regions, particularly in areas such as Bavaria and Saxony. The name's spelling has remained relatively consistent over time, with minor variations like "Lieber" or "Lieber."
One of the earliest documented references to the name Lieber can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, which mentions a certain "Conradus Lieber" in the year 1285.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various historical records, including the Stadtbücher (city books) of Nuremberg, where a "Johannes Lieber" was mentioned in 1379.
Among the notable individuals bearing the Lieber surname throughout history, one can mention:
1. Guido Lieber (c. 1592-1654), a German jurist and diplomat who served as a counselor to the Elector of Saxony.
2. Franz Theodor Lieber (1800-1872), a German-American philosopher, jurist, and political theorist, known for his contributions to the laws of war and his advocacy for civil liberties.
3. Michael Lieber (1838-1898), a German-American brewer and entrepreneur who founded the Michael Lieber Brewery in Indianapolis, Indiana.
4. Max Lieber (1870-1957), a German-American businessman and philanthropist, who co-founded the Lieber Company, a successful manufacturing firm in Indianapolis.
5. Lillian Lieber (1886-1986), an American writer and editor, known for her work in children's literature and her contributions to the Horn Book Magazine.
It is worth noting that the name Lieber has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Lieberhausen, Liebertwolkwitz, and Liebersee, which may have influenced the spread and usage of the surname in different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lieber
Among Census respondents with the surname Lieber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Lieber 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 Lieber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,323
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 100
- Two or more races1.7% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lieber
Lieber 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
#12,115
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,573
-17 bearers (-0.7%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Down 895 places
2020
#11,946
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,502
-71 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.84
Rank movement Up 169 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,220 | 2,590 | 0.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,115 | 2,573 | 0.87 | -17 bearers (-0.7%) | Down 895 places |
| 2020 | #11,946 | 2,502 | 0.84 | -71 bearers (-2.8%) | Up 169 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 Lieber 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 | #12,115 | #11,946 | 1.4% |
| Count | 2,573 | 2,502 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.87 | 0.84 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lieber bearers went from 2,573 to 2,502 (-2.8% change). The surname moved up 169 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,115 to #11,946.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lieber
FAQ
Lieber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lieber?
Name Census estimates that about 2,869 living Americans carry the surname Lieber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 119,468 residents.
How common is Lieber?
Lieber ranks #11,946 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.84 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,502 people with the surname Lieber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,869), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.84 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.84 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Lieber.
Has Lieber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lieber went from 2,573 recorded bearers to 2,502. That is a decrease of 71 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #12,115 to #11,946.
What does the Census say about the background of Lieber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lieber, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Lieber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,323 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lieber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (1.7%). 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 Lieber (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 Lieber mean?
A German and Jewish surname meaning "dearer" or "more beloved," derived from the German word "lieb" (dear). 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 Lieber (0.84 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 Lieber?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Lieber on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.