2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Liesmann
A surname derived from a nickname meaning "pleasant man" or "agreeable person."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Liesmann. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Liesmann 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Liesmann in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Liesmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Liesmann
The surname Liesmann is of German origin, with its roots tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region known as Saxony, which was a large territory that encompassed parts of modern-day Germany and Poland.
One of the earliest known instances of the name Liesmann can be found in the records of a small village near Dresden, dating back to the early 15th century. The name is thought to have derived from an occupation or a descriptive term, potentially related to the German word "liese," which means "meadow" or "pasture."
In the 16th century, the Liesmann family appeared to have expanded their presence throughout Saxony and neighboring regions. Historical records from this period, such as parish registers and tax rolls, mention several individuals bearing the Liesmann name, indicating their involvement in various trades and occupations.
During the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Liesmann (1620-1687) gained recognition as a skilled craftsman and metalworker in the city of Leipzig. His intricate works were highly sought after by local nobility and wealthy merchants.
As the centuries progressed, the Liesmann name continued to spread across different parts of Germany. In the early 19th century, a prominent scholar and philosopher, Friedrich Liesmann (1785-1862), made significant contributions to the field of metaphysics and ethics through his published works.
Another individual of note was Helene Liesmann (1845-1921), a pioneering educator who established one of the first schools for girls in the city of Berlin. Her dedication to providing quality education for women was widely recognized and praised during her lifetime.
By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Liesmann surname had also found its way into other European countries, such as Austria and Switzerland, where descendants of the original German families had settled and established new roots.
One of the more recent historical figures bearing the Liesmann name was Kurt Liesmann (1908-1994), a German-born author and journalist who gained recognition for his insightful writings on cultural and social issues in the post-World War II era.
Throughout its long history, the Liesmann surname has maintained a strong presence across various regions of Germany and beyond, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and diverse backgrounds of those who have carried this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Liesmann
Among Census respondents with the surname Liesmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Liesmann 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 Liesmann surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.3% · 103
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Liesmann
Liesmann 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,881 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,371 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 8,881 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 2,371 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 Liesmann 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 | #141,140 | #143,511 | -1.7% |
| Count | 118 | 118 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Liesmann bearers went from 118 to 118 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 2,371 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #143,511.
FAQ
Liesmann surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Liesmann?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Liesmann. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Liesmann?
Liesmann ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Liesmann. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Liesmann.
Has Liesmann become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Liesmann went from 118 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Liesmann?
Among Census respondents with the surname Liesmann, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Liesmann in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.3% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Liesmann appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.3%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Hispanic (4.2%). 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 Liesmann (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 Liesmann mean?
A surname derived from a nickname meaning "pleasant man" or "agreeable person." 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 Liesmann (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 are called Liesmann?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Liesmann on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.