2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lipske
A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the town of Lipsk or a similar location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 114 Americans carry the last name Lipske. That puts it at #156,005 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,006,617 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lipske 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
114
1 in 3,006,617
Census rank
#156,005
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
99
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 99 bearers of the surname Lipske in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156005th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipske, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lipske
The surname Lipske originated in Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 13th century. The name is believed to derive from the German word "Lipp," which means "lip" or "edge," suggesting that the original bearers of this name may have lived near a geographic feature such as a cliff or ridge.
One of the earliest known references to the Lipske name can be found in the records of the city of Cologne, where a certain Johannes Lipske was documented as a resident in the year 1287. This entry provides valuable insight into the geographic distribution of the name during the medieval period.
In the 16th century, the Lipske surname gained prominence with the birth of Matthias Lipske (1492-1564), a German theologian and reformer who played a role in the Protestant Reformation. His writings and teachings helped shape the religious landscape of his time, and his legacy endures as a notable figure in the history of the Lipske name.
Another notable bearer of the Lipske surname was Johann Lipske (1589-1647), a German composer and organist who lived during the Baroque period. His musical compositions, particularly his organ works, were highly regarded and contributed to the cultural richness of the era.
In the 18th century, the Lipske name appeared in the records of the town of Pomerania, where a family of landowners and merchants bearing the name had established themselves. One prominent member of this family was Friedrich Lipske (1732-1798), a successful merchant and philanthropist who donated generously to various charitable causes in the region.
As the Lipske name spread across Germany and into neighboring countries, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Lipski, Lipsky, and Lipskey. These variations may have arisen due to regional linguistic differences or as a result of transcription errors in official records.
While the Lipske surname may not have achieved widespread fame or recognition on a global scale, it has left an indelible mark on the rich tapestry of German history and culture. Its presence in historical records, coupled with the notable achievements of individuals who bore this name, serve as a testament to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lipske
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipske, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Lipske 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 Lipske surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 92
- Two or more races5.1% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lipske
Lipske 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-18 bearers (-14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 27,615 places
2020
#156,005
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 99
-4 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 1,229 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-14.9%) | Down 27,615 places |
| 2020 | #156,005 | 99 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.9%) | Up 1,229 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 Lipske 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 | #157,234 | #156,005 | 0.8% |
| Count | 103 | 99 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 10.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lipske bearers went from 103 to 99 (-3.9% change). The surname moved up 1,229 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #156,005.
FAQ
Lipske surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lipske?
Name Census estimates that about 114 living Americans carry the surname Lipske. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,006,617 residents.
How common is Lipske?
Lipske ranks #156,005 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 99 people with the surname Lipske. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (114), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Lipske.
Has Lipske become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lipske went from 103 recorded bearers to 99. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #156,005.
What does the Census say about the background of Lipske?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lipske, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.1%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Lipske in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (92 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lipske appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (5.1%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Lipske (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 Lipske mean?
A surname derived from a place name, likely referring to someone from the town of Lipsk or a similar location. 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 Lipske (0.03 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 Lipske?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.