2000
#10,874
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,689
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Linde
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the word "lind," meaning "linden tree."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,067 Americans carry the last name Linde. That puts it at #11,285 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 111,756 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Linde 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
3.1K
1 in 111,756
Census rank
#11,285
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,675 bearers of the surname Linde in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11285th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Linde, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Linde
The surname Linde originated from Germany, with its earliest known use dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old High German word "lint," meaning "lime tree," suggesting that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a prominent lime tree or in an area abundant with these trees.
In medieval Germany, surnames were often adopted based on occupations, physical characteristics, or geographical locations. The name Linde may have been initially given as a descriptive surname to identify a person's place of residence or occupation, such as a forester or woodworker, associated with lime trees.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Linde can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 13th century. This suggests that the name was already in use during this period.
In the 15th century, a notable individual named Hans Linde (1456-1522) was a German composer and theorist from Nuremberg. His works, including treatises on music theory and composition, contributed significantly to the development of Renaissance music.
Another prominent figure was Johann Joachim Linde (1623-1687), a German theologian and philosopher from Saxony. He served as a professor at the University of Leipzig and authored several influential works on theology and philosophy.
During the 17th century, Peter Linde (1619-1678) was a Dutch painter known for his still-life and genre paintings. His works are preserved in various museums, including the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
In the 19th century, Samuel Bogumil Linde (1771-1847) was a Polish linguist and lexicographer. He is best known for his monumental work, the "Dictionary of the Polish Language," a pioneering effort in codifying the Polish language.
The surname Linde has also been associated with various place names throughout Germany, such as Lindenhof, Lindenberg, and Lindenau, reflecting the connection between the name and the lime tree.
While the surname Linde is more commonly found in Germany and surrounding regions, it has also been adopted by families in other parts of Europe and beyond, making it a surname with a rich historical background and geographical distribution.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Linde
Among Census respondents with the surname Linde, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Linde 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 Linde surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 2,439
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 105
- Two or more races3.3% · 89
- Black or African American0.7% · 18
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Linde
Linde 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
#11,189
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,826
+137 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 315 places
2020
#11,285
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,675
-151 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 96 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,874 | 2,689 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,189 | 2,826 | 0.96 | +137 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 315 places |
| 2020 | #11,285 | 2,675 | 0.89 | -151 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 96 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 Linde 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 | #11,189 | #11,285 | -0.9% |
| Count | 2,826 | 2,675 | -5.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.89 | -6.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Linde bearers went from 2,826 to 2,675 (-5.3% change). The surname moved down 96 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,189 to #11,285.
FAQ
Linde surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Linde?
Name Census estimates that about 3,067 living Americans carry the surname Linde. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 111,756 residents.
How common is Linde?
Linde ranks #11,285 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,675 people with the surname Linde. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,067), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Linde.
Has Linde become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Linde went from 2,826 recorded bearers to 2,675. That is a decrease of 151 (-5.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,189 to #11,285.
What does the Census say about the background of Linde?
Among Census respondents with the surname Linde, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Linde in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (2,439 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Linde appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (3.3%). 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 Linde (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 Linde mean?
A Swedish toponymic surname derived from the word "lind," meaning "linden tree." 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 Linde (0.89 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 have the surname Linde?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.