Find out how popular the last name Lifer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lifer.
An insulting surname reflecting a person who spent their life in prison.
Lifer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Lifer surname is from the 2010 census data.
Lifer is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.
The Lifer surname appeared 202 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Lifer.
We can also compare 2010 data for Lifer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | 91221 | 79958 | 13.16% |
Count | 202 | 221 | -8.98% |
Proportion per 100k | 0.07 | 0.08 | -13.33% |
The surname "LIFER" is of English origin, and it is believed to have originated in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old English word "lifer," which means "one who lives or dwells." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who resided in a particular place or region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "LIFER" can be found in the parish records of St. Mary's Church in Nottingham, England, where a William Lifer was baptized in 1612. This suggests that the name may have been prevalent in the Nottinghamshire area during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name "LIFER" appeared in several historical documents, including the Subsidy Rolls for the county of Oxfordshire in 1665, where a John Lifer is listed as a taxpayer. This indicates that the name was present in other parts of England as well.
During the 18th century, the name "LIFER" continued to be found in various records across England. One notable example is Thomas Lifer (1710-1781), a prominent merchant and landowner from Warwickshire. He was known for his involvement in local politics and served as a Justice of the Peace.
In the 19th century, the name "LIFER" gained some prominence with individuals like William Lifer (1826-1897), a successful businessman and philanthropist from Yorkshire. He made his fortune in the textile industry and was known for his charitable contributions to local schools and hospitals.
Another notable figure with the surname "LIFER" was James Lifer (1856-1932), a renowned English architect who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Savoy Theatre and the Lyceum Theatre.
Throughout history, variations of the name "LIFER" have also been recorded, such as "Lifer," "Lyfer," and "Liefer." These variations likely emerged due to regional dialects and differences in spelling conventions over time.
While the surname "LIFER" is not among the most common in England, it has a rich history and can be traced back several centuries. The name has been associated with individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, landowners, businessmen, architects, and more.
We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lifer.
The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:
For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lifer was:
Race/Ethnicity | Percentage | Total Occurrences |
---|---|---|
Non-Hispanic White Only | 97.52% | 197 |
Non-Hispanic Black Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only | (S)% | (S) |
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0 |
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races | (S)% | (S) |
Hispanic Origin | (S)% | (S) |
Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.
Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Lifer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.
2010 | 2000 | Change (%) | |
---|---|---|---|
White | 97.52% | 94.57% | 3.07% |
Black | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
Asian and Pacific Islander | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Two or More Races | (S)% | 2.26% | (S)% |
Hispanic | (S)% | (S)% | (S)% |
The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.
The history and meaning of the name Lifer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.
If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lifer, please contact us.
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<a href="http://namecensus.com/last-names/lifer-surname-popularity/">Lifer last name popularity, history, and meaning</a>
"Lifer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on May 29, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/lifer-surname-popularity/.
"Lifer last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/lifer-surname-popularity/. Accessed 29 May, 2025
Lifer last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/lifer-surname-popularity/.
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