2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lineaweaver
A surname derived from an occupation related to weaving cloth or producing linen.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Lineaweaver. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lineaweaver 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Lineaweaver in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lineaweaver, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lineaweaver
The surname Lineaweaver has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated as a occupational name, referring to those who wove linen or were involved in the linen trade. The name is derived from the Middle High German words "lin" (meaning linen) and "wever" (meaning weaver).
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared with various spellings, such as Linenweber, Linenwaver, and Linenwäver, reflecting regional dialects and variations in spelling conventions at the time. These early variations can be found in historical records and documents from various German regions, particularly in areas known for their linen production and textile industries.
One of the earliest known references to the Lineaweaver name can be found in a 16th-century manuscript from the town of Heidelberg, where a merchant named Hans Linenwever is mentioned as a prominent figure in the local linen trade. Another early record dates back to the late 15th century, mentioning a family with the surname Linenwäver residing in the town of Nuremberg.
Notable individuals bearing the Lineaweaver surname throughout history include Johann Lineaweaver (1620-1698), a renowned linen merchant and philanthropist in the city of Frankfurt am Main. His legacy includes the establishment of a charitable foundation that supported education and social welfare initiatives in the region.
Another prominent figure was Maria Lineaweaver (1756-1832), a skilled linen weaver from the town of Weimar, whose intricate tapestries and linens were highly prized among the aristocracy of the time. Her work can be found in various museums and private collections across Europe.
In the 18th century, a family of Lineaweavers settled in the region of Saxony, where they became renowned for their expertise in linen weaving and dyeing techniques. One member of this family, Friedrich Lineaweaver (1789-1862), is credited with pioneering innovative methods for producing high-quality linen fabrics, which contributed to the region's economic prosperity.
During the 19th century, several Lineaweaver families migrated from Germany to other parts of Europe and North America, seeking new opportunities and contributing their skills to the textile industries in their new homelands. One such individual was Wilhelm Lineaweaver (1825-1904), who established a successful linen mill in the city of Philadelphia, USA, which employed numerous skilled weavers from Germany and other European countries.
Throughout its history, the Lineaweaver surname has been closely associated with the linen trade, reflecting the importance of this industry in various regions of Germany and the skilled craftsmanship of those who bore this name. While the surname may have evolved over time, its origins remain rooted in the occupation of linen weaving, a testament to the rich cultural and economic heritage of the regions from which it originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lineaweaver
Among Census respondents with the surname Lineaweaver, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lineaweaver 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 Lineaweaver surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 110
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lineaweaver
Lineaweaver 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+8 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,861 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-18 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,448 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 1,861 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 17,448 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 Lineaweaver 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 | #129,047 | #146,495 | -13.5% |
| Count | 132 | 114 | -13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lineaweaver bearers went from 132 to 114 (-13.6% change). The surname moved down 17,448 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #146,495.
FAQ
Lineaweaver surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lineaweaver?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Lineaweaver. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Lineaweaver?
Lineaweaver ranks #146,495 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 114 people with the surname Lineaweaver. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Lineaweaver.
Has Lineaweaver become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lineaweaver went from 132 recorded bearers to 114. That is a decrease of 18 (-13.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Lineaweaver?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lineaweaver, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Lineaweaver in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lineaweaver appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Hispanic (1.8%), Black (0.9%). 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 Lineaweaver (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 Lineaweaver mean?
A surname derived from an occupation related to weaving cloth or producing linen. 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 Lineaweaver (0.04 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 Lineaweaver?
See how many people have the surname Lineaweaver on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.