2000
#33,993
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 632
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Liebler
A surname possibly derived from the German word lieblich, meaning "lovely" or "pleasing."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 766 Americans carry the last name Liebler. That puts it at #36,101 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 447,460 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Liebler 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
766
1 in 447,460
Census rank
#36,101
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
668
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 668 bearers of the surname Liebler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36101st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Liebler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Liebler
The surname Liebler originated in Germany, where it first appeared in records during the 13th century. It is derived from the Germanic words "lieb" meaning "beloved" and "ler" meaning "teacher" or "instructor." The name likely referred to someone who was a beloved teacher or mentor in their community.
The earliest known record of the name Liebler dates back to 1285 in the town of Nürnberg, Bavaria, where a man named Heinrich Liebler was mentioned in local tax records. By the 14th century, variations of the name such as Liebler, Liebler, and Liebeler were found in various regions of southern Germany, including Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, and Hesse.
In the 16th century, the Liebler name appeared in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony. The Codex mentioned a Johannes Liebler, a merchant from Leipzig, who was involved in trade disputes with other merchants in the year 1542.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Liebler was Johann Christoph Liebler, a German composer and organist who lived from 1670 to 1737. He was best known for his compositions for the organ and his work as the organist at the Stadtkirche in Darmstadt.
Another notable Liebler was Karl Friedrich Liebler, a German physicist and inventor born in 1808. He is credited with developing the first practical electric motor in 1834, which played a significant role in the advancement of electrical engineering.
In the 19th century, the Liebler name gained prominence in the United States, particularly in the Midwest. One of the earliest recorded instances was Johann Liebler, who immigrated from Germany to Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1842. He became a successful businessman and was active in the local German community.
Another prominent American with the Liebler surname was Herman Liebler, a banker and businessman born in 1856 in Cincinnati. He co-founded the Union Savings Bank and Trust Company and was instrumental in the growth of the city's financial sector.
Throughout its history, the surname Liebler has been associated with various occupations, including teaching, commerce, music, and science. While it originated in Germany, the name has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and family migrations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Liebler
Among Census respondents with the surname Liebler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Liebler 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 Liebler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 603
- Hispanic or Latino4.6% · 31
- Two or more races3.6% · 24
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Liebler
Liebler 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
#34,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 649
+17 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 808 places
2020
#36,101
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 668
+19 bearers (+2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Down 1,300 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #33,993 | 632 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #34,801 | 649 | 0.22 | +17 bearers (+2.7%) | Down 808 places |
| 2020 | #36,101 | 668 | 0.22 | +19 bearers (+2.9%) | Down 1,300 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 Liebler 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 | #34,801 | #36,101 | -3.7% |
| Count | 649 | 668 | 2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.22 | 0.22 | 1.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Liebler bearers went from 649 to 668 (+2.9% change). The surname moved down 1,300 positions in the national ranking, going from #34,801 to #36,101.
FAQ
Liebler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Liebler?
Name Census estimates that about 766 living Americans carry the surname Liebler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 447,460 residents.
How common is Liebler?
Liebler ranks #36,101 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 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 668 people with the surname Liebler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (766), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 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 Liebler.
Has Liebler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Liebler went from 649 recorded bearers to 668. That is an increase of 19 (+2.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #34,801 to #36,101.
What does the Census say about the background of Liebler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Liebler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Liebler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (603 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Liebler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Hispanic (4.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Liebler (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 Liebler mean?
A surname possibly derived from the German word lieblich, meaning "lovely" or "pleasing." 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 Liebler (0.22 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 are called Liebler?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Liebler on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.