Find out how popular the last name Lightner is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Lightner.

Lightner, 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 Lightner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Lightner in America

Lightner is the 6029th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Lightner surname appeared 5,701 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Lightner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Lightner 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.

The history of the last name Lightner

The surname Lightner is of German origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Licht," which means "light." In its earliest form, the name was spelled as "Lichtner" and was a descriptive surname given to someone who lived near a source of light, such as a lighthouse or a candle-maker's shop.

The name Lightner first appeared in historical records in the town of Nuremberg, Germany, in the late 1300s. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in a 1389 document that mentioned a "Johannes Lichtner," who was a candle-maker by trade.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the Lightner family spread throughout various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. Some branches of the family adopted variations of the spelling, such as "Lichtener" or "Lichtnauer," but the core meaning remained the same.

In the late 18th century, a notable figure bearing the name Lightner was Johann Christoph Lightner (1732-1802), a German theologian and author who wrote several books on religious subjects. Another famous Lightner was Wilhelm Lightner (1801-1878), a German painter known for his landscapes and portraits.

As the Lightner family spread across Europe, some members eventually emigrated to the United States and other parts of the world. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was in 1754, when a Johann Lightner arrived in Philadelphia from Germany.

Other notable individuals with the surname Lightner include:

1. Joseph Lightner (1789-1865), an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Ohio.
2. Mary Lightner (1808-1886), an early member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and one of Joseph Smith's plural wives.
3. Otto Lightner (1856-1926), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who co-founded the Lightner Museum in St. Augustine, Florida.
4. Mildred Lightner (1892-1982), an American teacher and author who wrote several children's books, including the popular "Miss Twiggley" series.
5. Edward Lightner (1928-2020), an American jazz musician and composer known for his work with the Stan Kenton Orchestra and other big bands.

While the Lightner name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, with bearers of the surname making significant contributions in fields such as politics, religion, business, and the arts.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Lightner

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Lightner.

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:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Lightner was:

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 Lightner has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

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 Lightner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Lightner, please contact us.

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