2000
#14,399
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,905
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Lirette
A French occupational surname derived from the Old French word "lieur," meaning a maker or seller of laces or ribbons.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,272 Americans carry the last name Lirette. That puts it at #14,485 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.66 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,860 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lirette 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
2.3K
1 in 150,860
Census rank
#14,485
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,981 bearers of the surname Lirette in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.66 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14485th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lirette, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lirette
The surname Lirette has its origins in France, specifically in the northern regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the 12th or 13th century, derived from the Old French word "lire," which means "to read" or "to study." This connection suggests that the name may have initially been given as a nickname to someone who was particularly well-educated or scholarly.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Lirette surname can be found in the medieval records of the Normandy region, where a certain Jean Lirette was mentioned in a document from the late 13th century. This suggests that the name had already established itself in that area by that time.
In the 14th century, the name appeared in various historical records across northern France, including the census records of the city of Amiens, where a family bearing the Lirette name was documented as residing in the year 1387. During this period, variations in spelling, such as Lirette, Lirete, and Lyrete, were also common.
As the centuries passed, the Lirette name continued to spread throughout France, with notable individuals emerging from time to time. One such person was Pierre Lirette, a renowned scholar and philosopher who lived in the 16th century and authored several influential works on logic and metaphysics.
Another prominent figure was Marie Lirette, a skilled lacemaker from the town of Alençon in the 17th century. Her intricate and delicate designs were highly sought after by the nobility of the time, and her work helped establish Alençon as a center of lacemaking excellence.
In the 18th century, the Lirette name found its way to the New World, with several families emigrating from France to the French colonies in North America, particularly in what is now Canada. One notable individual from this period was Jacques Lirette, a fur trader and explorer who played a significant role in the early exploration and mapping of the Canadian wilderness.
As the 19th century dawned, the Lirette name continued to spread across various regions, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields. One such person was Émile Lirette, a famous French painter who lived from 1810 to 1888 and was known for his vivid landscapes and portraiture.
Throughout its long history, the Lirette surname has maintained a strong connection to its scholarly and intellectual roots, with many individuals bearing this name making significant contributions to various fields of study and creative endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lirette
Among Census respondents with the surname Lirette, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lirette 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 Lirette surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 1,769
- Two or more races3.8% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 68
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.6% · 52
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lirette
Lirette 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
#14,571
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,044
+139 bearers (+7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.69
Rank movement Down 172 places
2020
#14,485
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,981
-63 bearers (-3.1%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Up 86 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,399 | 1,905 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,571 | 2,044 | 0.69 | +139 bearers (+7.3%) | Down 172 places |
| 2020 | #14,485 | 1,981 | 0.66 | -63 bearers (-3.1%) | Up 86 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 Lirette 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 | #14,571 | #14,485 | 0.6% |
| Count | 2,044 | 1,981 | -3.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.69 | 0.66 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lirette bearers went from 2,044 to 1,981 (-3.1% change). The surname moved up 86 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,571 to #14,485.
FAQ
Lirette surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lirette?
Name Census estimates that about 2,272 living Americans carry the surname Lirette. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,860 residents.
How common is Lirette?
Lirette ranks #14,485 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.66 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 1,981 people with the surname Lirette. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,272), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.66 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.66 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 Lirette.
Has Lirette become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lirette went from 2,044 recorded bearers to 1,981. That is a decrease of 63 (-3.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,571 to #14,485.
What does the Census say about the background of Lirette?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lirette, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.8%) and Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Lirette in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (1,769 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lirette appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (3.8%), Hispanic (3.4%). 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 Lirette (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 Lirette mean?
A French occupational surname derived from the Old French word "lieur," meaning a maker or seller of laces or ribbons. 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 Lirette (0.66 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 have the last name Lirette?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Lirette is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.