2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Lipsius
A surname derived from the Polish placename Lipsk, meaning "of Lipsk".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Lipsius. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lipsius 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Lipsius in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipsius, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lipsius
The surname Lipsius originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Low German word "Lippe," which referred to a small stream or brook. This name likely originated as a topographic name, given to someone who lived near a stream or brook.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Lipsius can be found in the town records of Lübeck, Germany, from the year 1290, where a certain Johannes Lipsius is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.
In the 14th century, the Lipsius name appeared in various historical documents across northern Germany, including the Hanseatic League records. This indicates that some members of the family may have been involved in the influential trading network of that era.
During the Renaissance period, the humanist and philologist Justus Lipsius (1547-1606) rose to prominence. Born in Overijse, Brabant (now part of Belgium), he was a renowned scholar and author, known for his works on Stoic philosophy and his contributions to the study of ancient texts.
Another notable figure with the surname Lipsius was Richard Adelhart Lipsius (1830-1892), a German theologian and historian of religion. He was born in Gera and is best known for his contributions to the study of Gnosticism and early Christian sects.
In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried Lipsius (1719-1801) was a renowned jurist and professor of law at the University of Leipzig. His legal writings and teachings had a significant impact on the development of German law during that period.
The Lipsius name has also been associated with several places in Germany, such as Lippstadt, a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, which derived its name from the Low German word "Lippe" and the suffix "-stadt" (city).
Throughout history, variations of the spelling have emerged, including Lippius, Lippius, and Lypsius, reflecting regional linguistic differences and the evolution of the name over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lipsius
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipsius, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lipsius 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 Lipsius surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.3% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lipsius
Lipsius 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
#126,018
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+2 bearers (+1.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 6,374 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-15 bearers (-11.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,291 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #126,018 | 136 | 0.05 | +2 bearers (+1.5%) | Down 6,374 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-11.0%) | Down 15,291 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 Lipsius 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 | #126,018 | #141,309 | -12.1% |
| Count | 136 | 121 | -11.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lipsius bearers went from 136 to 121 (-11.0% change). The surname moved down 15,291 positions in the national ranking, going from #126,018 to #141,309.
FAQ
Lipsius surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lipsius?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Lipsius. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Lipsius?
Lipsius ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Lipsius. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Lipsius.
Has Lipsius become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lipsius went from 136 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 15 (-11.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #126,018 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Lipsius?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipsius, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Lipsius in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lipsius appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.3%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Lipsius (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 Lipsius mean?
A surname derived from the Polish placename Lipsk, meaning "of Lipsk". 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 Lipsius (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 Lipsius?
See how many Americans have the surname Lipsius on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.