2000
#91,404
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 187
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Ligtenberg
A locational surname referring to someone from a town or area called Ligtenberg.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 230 Americans carry the last name Ligtenberg. That puts it at #96,965 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.07 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,490,236 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ligtenberg 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
230
1 in 1,490,236
Census rank
#96,965
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
201
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 201 bearers of the surname Ligtenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.07 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 96965th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ligtenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ligtenberg
The surname Ligtenberg is of Dutch origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages in the Netherlands. The name is derived from a combination of the Dutch words "ligt" meaning "situated" and "berg" meaning "hill" or "mountain." This suggests that the name originally referred to someone who lived near a hill or a mountain.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Ligtenberg can be found in historical documents from the 15th century, particularly in the regions of Gelderland and Overijssel in the eastern part of the Netherlands. It is believed that the name originated as a topographic surname, indicating that the first bearers of the name lived in or near a settlement with a similar name.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Ligtenberg was Adriaan Ligtenberg (c. 1540-1610), a Dutch painter and engraver from Amsterdam. His works were influential in the development of Dutch Golden Age painting and engraving techniques.
In the 17th century, the name Ligtenberg can be found in various records from the Dutch East India Company (VOC), suggesting that some individuals with this surname were involved in the Dutch colonial ventures in Asia.
Another prominent figure with the surname Ligtenberg was Jan Ligtenberg (1725-1801), a Dutch military officer who served in the Dutch East Indies and played a significant role in the Dutch-Javanese War of 1786-1787.
During the 19th century, the Ligtenberg name appeared in several historical records from the Netherlands, including birth, marriage, and death registers. One notable individual from this period was Pieter Ligtenberg (1829-1891), a Dutch politician who served as a member of the House of Representatives for the district of Haarlem.
In the 20th century, the name Ligtenberg continued to be present in the Netherlands, with individuals like Willem Ligtenberg (1902-1984), a Dutch artist known for his landscape paintings and etchings.
Overall, the surname Ligtenberg has a rich history rooted in the Dutch culture and geography, with various individuals bearing this name leaving their mark in various fields, including art, military, and politics.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ligtenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Ligtenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Ligtenberg 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 Ligtenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.1% · 179
- Two or more races7.5% · 15
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ligtenberg
Ligtenberg 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
#98,553
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 184
-3 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 7,149 places
2020
#96,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 201
+17 bearers (+9.2%)
Per 100,000 0.07
Rank movement Up 1,588 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #91,404 | 187 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #98,553 | 184 | 0.06 | -3 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 7,149 places |
| 2020 | #96,965 | 201 | 0.07 | +17 bearers (+9.2%) | Up 1,588 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 Ligtenberg 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 | #98,553 | #96,965 | 1.6% |
| Count | 184 | 201 | 9.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.07 | 12.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ligtenberg bearers went from 184 to 201 (+9.2% change). The surname moved up 1,588 positions in the national ranking, going from #98,553 to #96,965.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Ligtenberg
FAQ
Ligtenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ligtenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 230 living Americans carry the surname Ligtenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,490,236 residents.
How common is Ligtenberg?
Ligtenberg ranks #96,965 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.07 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 201 people with the surname Ligtenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (230), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.07 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.07 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 Ligtenberg.
Has Ligtenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ligtenberg went from 184 recorded bearers to 201. That is an increase of 17 (+9.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #98,553 to #96,965.
What does the Census say about the background of Ligtenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ligtenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (7.5%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Ligtenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.1% (179 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ligtenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.1%), Two or More Races (7.5%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Ligtenberg (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 Ligtenberg mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from a town or area called Ligtenberg. 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 Ligtenberg (0.07 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 common is the surname Ligtenberg?
You can see how many people are called Ligtenberg on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.