2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lisse
A surname referring to a person from the French town of Lisieux.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Lisse. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lisse 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Lisse in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lisse, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.8%) and Black (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lisse
The surname Lisse has its origins in France, specifically in the northern region of Normandy, and dates back to the medieval period around the 11th century. It is derived from the Old French word "lisse," which means "smooth" or "polished," likely referring to a physical characteristic or occupation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. This document mentions a landowner named Radulfus Lisse, suggesting that the name had already been established by that time.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various records and documents, including the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which listed individuals named Lisse residing in counties such as Oxfordshire and Gloucestershire. This indicates that the name had spread beyond its original Norman roots and was gaining recognition across different parts of England.
During the Renaissance period, the name Lisse was associated with several notable individuals. One such person was Jean Lisse (1556-1635), a French mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the development of trigonometry and the calculation of planetary orbits.
Another prominent figure was Guillaume Lisse (1628-1705), a French engraver and cartographer known for his intricate maps and illustrations of cities and landscapes. His work was highly regarded and sought after by wealthy patrons and collectors of the time.
In the 18th century, Jacques Lisse (1735-1810) was a French architect who designed several notable buildings in Paris, including the Palais de la Légion d'Honneur and the Hôtel de Salm. His architectural style was heavily influenced by the Neoclassical movement, which emphasized symmetry, grandeur, and a return to classical forms.
Moving into the 19th century, Louis Lisse (1820-1895) was a French painter and illustrator who gained recognition for his landscapes and depictions of rural life. His works were exhibited at the prestigious Paris Salon and are now part of various museum collections.
Finally, in the early 20th century, André Lisse (1901-1985) was a French sculptor known for his abstract and modernist works. He experimented with various materials, including metal, stone, and wood, and his pieces were showcased in galleries and exhibitions throughout Europe.
These are just a few examples of individuals who carried the surname Lisse throughout history, reflecting its French origins and its presence in various fields, including mathematics, cartography, architecture, art, and sculpture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lisse
Among Census respondents with the surname Lisse, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.8%) and Black (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Lisse 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 Lisse surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.3% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino14.8% · 17
- Black or African American6.1% · 7
- Two or more races5.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lisse
Lisse 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
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,416 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+3 bearers (+2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,496 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,416 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.7%) | Up 1,496 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 Lisse 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 | #147,253 | #145,757 | 1.0% |
| Count | 112 | 115 | 2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lisse bearers went from 112 to 115 (+2.7% change). The surname moved up 1,496 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #145,757.
FAQ
Lisse surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lisse?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Lisse. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Lisse?
Lisse ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Lisse. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Lisse.
Has Lisse become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lisse went from 112 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 3 (+2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #147,253 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Lisse?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lisse, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (14.8%) and Black (6.1%). 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 Lisse in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.3% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lisse appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.3%), Hispanic (14.8%), Black (6.1%). 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 Lisse (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 Lisse mean?
A surname referring to a person from the French town of Lisieux. 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 Lisse (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 many people have the surname Lisse?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.