2010
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Lienke
A surname of German origin derived from the pet name Lienke, itself a diminutive of Lina.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Lienke. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lienke 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Lienke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lienke, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lienke
The surname Lienke is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period in the regions of central Europe. The name is believed to be derived from the Old German word "linden," which means "lime tree." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near a prominent lime tree or in an area known for its abundance of these trees.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, Germany. In this collection, a person named Henricus Lienke is mentioned in a document dated 1349, suggesting that the name was already in use by the mid-14th century.
During the 15th century, the Lienke surname appeared in various records and manuscripts across different parts of Germany. For instance, in the town of Quedlinburg, a man named Johannes Lienke was recorded as a citizen in 1472. Additionally, in the city of Erfurt, a certain Konrad Lienke was mentioned in a legal document from 1487.
As the centuries passed, the Lienke name continued to spread and establish itself in various regions of Germany. Notable individuals bearing this surname include:
1. Friedrich Lienke (1796-1875), a German philologist and author, known for his contributions to the study of ancient Greek literature.
2. Ernst Lienke (1819-1902), a German architect and urban planner, responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin during the 19th century.
3. Theodor Lienke (1845-1918), a German painter and illustrator, renowned for his depictions of landscape scenes and historical events.
4. Walther Lienke (1887-1945), a German military officer who served in both World War I and World War II, rising to the rank of Generalleutnant.
5. Heinz Lienke (1912-1999), a German actor and theater director, best known for his performances on stage and in numerous films throughout the mid-20th century.
While the Lienke surname may have originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with bearers of the name found in various countries and cultures. However, its roots and historical significance remain firmly grounded in the Germanic regions of central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lienke
Among Census respondents with the surname Lienke, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lienke 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 Lienke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 100
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lienke
Lienke 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
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
+5 bearers (+5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,986 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+5.0%) | Up 7,986 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 Lienke 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 | #160,975 | #152,989 | 5.0% |
| Count | 100 | 105 | 5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lienke bearers went from 100 to 105 (+5.0% change). The surname moved up 7,986 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #152,989.
FAQ
Lienke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lienke?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Lienke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Lienke?
Lienke ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Lienke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Lienke.
Has Lienke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lienke went from 100 recorded bearers to 105. That is an increase of 5 (+5.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Lienke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lienke, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (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 Lienke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lienke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Hispanic (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 Lienke (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 Lienke mean?
A surname of German origin derived from the pet name Lienke, itself a diminutive of Lina. 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 Lienke (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 Lienke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.