2000
#11,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,424
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.90
Rare Last name
Liner
An occupational surname referring to a linen weaver, linen merchant, or one who works with linen fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,633 Americans carry the last name Liner. That puts it at #12,808 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 130,176 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Liner 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 Liner with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
2.6K
1 in 130,176
Census rank
#12,808
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,296 bearers of the surname Liner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12808th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Liner, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Liner
The surname LINER is of German origin, first appearing in records from the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Leineweber," which translates to "linen weaver." The name likely originated among families involved in the production of linen fabric, a prominent industry in certain regions of Germany during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the LINER surname can be found in the town of Cologne, Germany, where a family by the name of Leineweber resided in the late 1500s. Over time, the name evolved into its current spelling, LINER, as families migrated to different areas and adapted to local dialects and naming conventions.
In the 17th century, the LINER surname appeared in various historical documents, including church records and tax rolls, in regions such as Bavaria and Saxony. This suggests that the name had spread across different parts of Germany by that time.
An early notable bearer of the LINER surname was Johann Liner (1620-1685), a German theologian and author who wrote several influential works on Lutheran doctrine. His writings were widely circulated and contributed to the intellectual discourse of the time.
During the 18th century, the LINER name gained prominence in the city of Hamburg, where a family of successful merchants and traders operated under that surname. One of the most renowned members was Heinrich Liner (1735-1812), a prominent businessman and philanthropist who funded the construction of several schools and hospitals in the city.
In the 19th century, the LINER surname crossed the Atlantic as German immigrants began settling in various parts of North America. One notable figure was Friedrich Liner (1845-1921), a German-American engineer who played a significant role in the development of early steam-powered machinery and industrial equipment.
Another individual of note is Anna Liner (1870-1945), a German-born educator and women's rights advocate who immigrated to the United States in the late 19th century. She established several schools and organizations dedicated to promoting equal opportunities for women in education and the workforce.
As the LINER surname spread across different regions and countries, its spelling and pronunciation evolved slightly, with variations such as Lyner, Leiner, and Leinert appearing in various records and documents over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Liner
Among Census respondents with the surname Liner, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Liner 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 Liner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White76.5% · 1,757
- Black or African American11.9% · 273
- Two or more races4.7% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.7% · 86
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 60
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Liner
Liner 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
#11,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,672
+248 bearers (+10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.91
Rank movement Up 109 places
2020
#12,808
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,296
-376 bearers (-14.1%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 1,080 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,837 | 2,424 | 0.90 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,728 | 2,672 | 0.91 | +248 bearers (+10.2%) | Up 109 places |
| 2020 | #12,808 | 2,296 | 0.77 | -376 bearers (-14.1%) | Down 1,080 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 Liner 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 | #11,728 | #12,808 | -9.2% |
| Count | 2,672 | 2,296 | -14.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.91 | 0.77 | -15.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Liner bearers went from 2,672 to 2,296 (-14.1% change). The surname moved down 1,080 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,728 to #12,808.
FAQ
Liner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Liner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,633 living Americans carry the surname Liner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 130,176 residents.
How common is Liner?
Liner ranks #12,808 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.77 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 2,296 people with the surname Liner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,633), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.77 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 Liner.
Has Liner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Liner went from 2,672 recorded bearers to 2,296. That is a decrease of 376 (-14.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,728 to #12,808.
What does the Census say about the background of Liner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Liner, the largest self-reported group is White at 76.5%. The next largest groups are Black (11.9%) and Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Liner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 76.5% (1,757 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Liner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (76.5%), Black (11.9%), Two or More Races (4.7%). 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 Liner (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 Liner mean?
An occupational surname referring to a linen weaver, linen merchant, or one who works with linen fabric. 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 Liner (0.77 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 share the surname Liner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.