2000
#4,158
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,891
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.93
Rare Last name
Lister
An occupational surname referring to a dyer or one who dyes fabric.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 9,157 Americans carry the last name Lister. That puts it at #4,299 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 37,431 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lister 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 Lister with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
9.2K
1 in 37,431
Census rank
#4,299
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,985 bearers of the surname Lister in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4299th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lister, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lister
The surname Lister is of English origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "lister," meaning a dyer or one who colored cloth. The name is believed to have originated in the Northern counties of England, particularly in Yorkshire and Lancashire, where the textile industry flourished.
In the early 13th century, the name Lister appeared in various records, such as the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire, indicating the presence of individuals involved in the dyeing trade. One of the earliest recorded instances is from 1219, mentioning a certain Richard le Lister.
The Domesday Book, the great survey of England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086, does not explicitly mention the surname Lister. However, it does reference place names like Lister in Yorkshire, which may have contributed to the surname's development.
During the 14th century, the surname Lister began to solidify, with mentions in various historical documents. One notable figure was John Lister (c.1328-1399), a prominent merchant and wool trader from Wakefield, Yorkshire. His successful business dealings contributed to the family's wealth and standing.
In the 16th century, the Lister family gained prominence with the birth of Thomas Lister (1512-1587), a renowned English physician and author. He is best known for his treatise "De Teredine Navali" (On the Ship-Worm), published in 1597, which discussed the wood-boring mollusks that damaged wooden ships.
Another notable figure was Martin Lister (1638-1712), a renowned naturalist and physician. Born in Radcliffe, Lancashire, he made significant contributions to the study of mollusks, fossils, and natural history. His works, such as "Historiae Animalium Angliae" (History of English Animals), were highly influential in the field of taxonomy.
In the 18th century, Joseph Lister (1720-1790), a prominent Quaker and naturalist, gained recognition for his observations and writings on various subjects, including botany, zoology, and geology. He is remembered for his work "Conchylionum Bivalvium" (On Bivalve Shells), published in 1685.
Joseph Lister (1827-1912), a celebrated English surgeon, pioneered antiseptic methods in medical procedures, significantly reducing post-operative infections. His contributions to the field of surgery earned him worldwide recognition and the title of "Father of Modern Surgery."
The surname Lister continues to be prevalent in various parts of the world, with notable individuals bearing this name across different fields, such as science, literature, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lister
Among Census respondents with the surname Lister, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Lister 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 Lister surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White75.1% · 5,996
- Black or African American14.5% · 1,161
- Two or more races4.4% · 349
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 347
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 95
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 37
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lister
Lister 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
#4,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,350
+459 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 2.83
Rank movement Down 92 places
2020
#4,299
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,985
-365 bearers (-4.4%)
Per 100,000 2.67
Rank movement Down 49 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,158 | 7,891 | 2.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,250 | 8,350 | 2.83 | +459 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 92 places |
| 2020 | #4,299 | 7,985 | 2.67 | -365 bearers (-4.4%) | Down 49 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 Lister 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 | #4,250 | #4,299 | -1.2% |
| Count | 8,350 | 7,985 | -4.4% |
| Per 100K | 2.83 | 2.67 | -5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lister bearers went from 8,350 to 7,985 (-4.4% change). The surname moved down 49 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,250 to #4,299.
FAQ
Lister surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lister?
Name Census estimates that about 9,157 living Americans carry the surname Lister. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 37,431 residents.
How common is Lister?
Lister ranks #4,299 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.67 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,985 people with the surname Lister. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (9,157), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.67 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Lister.
Has Lister become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lister went from 8,350 recorded bearers to 7,985. That is a decrease of 365 (-4.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,250 to #4,299.
What does the Census say about the background of Lister?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lister, the largest self-reported group is White at 75.1%. The next largest groups are Black (14.5%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Lister in the 2020 Census, accounting for 75.1% (5,996 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lister appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (75.1%), Black (14.5%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Lister (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 Lister mean?
An occupational surname referring to a dyer or one who dyes 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 Lister (2.67 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 Lister?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Lister? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.