2000
#2,474
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,375
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.96
Uncommon Last name
Linder
A Swedish ornamental surname derived from the linden tree, or an occupational name for a shield maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,828 Americans carry the last name Linder. That puts it at #2,718 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.33 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 23,115 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Linder 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Linder with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
15K
1 in 23,115
Census rank
#2,718
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
13K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,931 bearers of the surname Linder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.33 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2718th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Linder, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Linder
The surname Linder has its origins in Germany, and it can be traced back to the Middle Ages, around the 13th century. The name is derived from the Old German word "lind," which means "lime tree" or "linden tree." It was likely initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived near a linden tree or a place where linden trees grew abundantly.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname Linder can be found in various German historical records and manuscripts, such as the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, which dates back to the 13th century. In these early documents, the name appears with various spellings, including Linder, Linder, and Linder.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Linder was Johannes Linder, a German scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century (c. 1425-1490). Another notable figure was Johann Linder, a German poet and humanist who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1582).
In the 17th century, the surname Linder was also associated with several place names in Germany, such as Linderhof and Linderbach, which further reinforced the connection between the name and the linden tree.
Another prominent individual with the surname Linder was Johann Baptist Linder (1776-1846), an Austrian composer and music theorist who was active during the Classical and early Romantic periods. He was renowned for his contributions to music theory and his compositions for various instruments.
In the 19th century, Christian Friedrich Linder (1812-1888) was a German physician and botanist who made significant contributions to the field of plant taxonomy. He published several works on the flora of Germany and neighboring regions.
The surname Linder has also been found in other parts of Europe, including Sweden and Switzerland, although its origins can be traced back to Germany. Over time, the name has spread to various parts of the world, carried by immigrants and their descendants.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Linder
Among Census respondents with the surname Linder, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Linder 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 Linder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.4% · 10,400
- Black or African American11.7% · 1,517
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 470
- Two or more races3.2% · 409
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 74
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 61
Timeline
Historical Census data for Linder
Linder 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
#2,607
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 13,830
+455 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 4.69
Rank movement Down 133 places
2020
#2,718
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,931
-899 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 4.33
Rank movement Down 111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,474 | 13,375 | 4.96 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,607 | 13,830 | 4.69 | +455 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 133 places |
| 2020 | #2,718 | 12,931 | 4.33 | -899 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 111 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 Linder 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 | #2,607 | #2,718 | -4.3% |
| Count | 13,830 | 12,931 | -6.5% |
| Per 100K | 4.69 | 4.33 | -7.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Linder bearers went from 13,830 to 12,931 (-6.5% change). The surname moved down 111 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,607 to #2,718.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Linder
FAQ
Linder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Linder?
Name Census estimates that about 14,828 living Americans carry the surname Linder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 23,115 residents.
How common is Linder?
Linder ranks #2,718 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.33 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,931 people with the surname Linder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,828), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.33 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.33 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Linder.
Has Linder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Linder went from 13,830 recorded bearers to 12,931. That is a decrease of 899 (-6.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,607 to #2,718.
What does the Census say about the background of Linder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Linder, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Black (11.7%) and Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Linder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (10,400 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Linder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.4%), Black (11.7%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Linder (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 Linder mean?
A Swedish ornamental surname derived from the linden tree, or an occupational name for a shield maker. 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 Linder (4.33 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 Americans have the surname Linder?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.