2000
#12,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,332
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Loesch
A German toponymic surname derived from place names meaning "loose" or "slack," referring to boggy or marshy ground.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,537 Americans carry the last name Loesch. That puts it at #13,229 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,102 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loesch 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
2.5K
1 in 135,102
Census rank
#13,229
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,212 bearers of the surname Loesch in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13229th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loesch
The surname LOESCH is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It likely originated from the German word "Loesche," which means "fire" or "blaze." This suggests that the name may have been associated with an occupation or a place related to fire, such as a blacksmith or a location near a forge.
In the 14th century, variations of the LOESCH name appeared in records from the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Some of the earliest recorded spellings include Loesche, Loesch, Loesch, and Lösch. These variations highlight the influence of regional dialects and scribal errors in the spelling of surnames during that period.
The LOESCH name has been documented in several historical records, including the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of medieval documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. Additionally, the name is mentioned in the Bürgermatrikel (Citizen Registry) of the city of Nuremberg in the 15th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the LOESCH surname was Hans Loesch, a merchant from Augsburg, who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Johann Loesch, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1506 to 1567 and was a contemporary of Martin Luther.
In the 17th century, the LOESCH name gained prominence with the birth of Johann Loesch (1635-1711), a German composer and organist from Saxony. He was recognized for his contributions to church music and organ compositions during the Baroque period.
Another significant figure was Friedrich Loesch (1845-1905), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Reichstag (Imperial Diet) in the late 19th century. He was known for his advocacy of social welfare policies and his work on labor legislation.
The LOESCH surname has also been associated with various place names, such as Loeschau (now Losice, Poland) and Löschitz (now Lesnice, Czech Republic), which may have influenced the spelling and distribution of the name across different regions.
Throughout its history, the LOESCH surname has been carried by individuals from various professions, including artisans, scholars, musicians, and politicians, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and contributions of those who bore this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loesch
Among Census respondents with the surname Loesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Loesch 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 Loesch surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 2,053
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 72
- Two or more races2.9% · 64
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loesch
Loesch 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
#12,715
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,428
+96 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.82
Rank movement Down 471 places
2020
#13,229
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,212
-216 bearers (-8.9%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 514 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,244 | 2,332 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,715 | 2,428 | 0.82 | +96 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 471 places |
| 2020 | #13,229 | 2,212 | 0.74 | -216 bearers (-8.9%) | Down 514 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 Loesch 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 | #12,715 | #13,229 | -4.0% |
| Count | 2,428 | 2,212 | -8.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.82 | 0.74 | -9.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loesch bearers went from 2,428 to 2,212 (-8.9% change). The surname moved down 514 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,715 to #13,229.
FAQ
Loesch surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loesch?
Name Census estimates that about 2,537 living Americans carry the surname Loesch. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,102 residents.
How common is Loesch?
Loesch ranks #13,229 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,212 people with the surname Loesch. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,537), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Loesch.
Has Loesch become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loesch went from 2,428 recorded bearers to 2,212. That is a decrease of 216 (-8.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,715 to #13,229.
What does the Census say about the background of Loesch?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loesch, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Loesch in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (2,053 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loesch appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Loesch (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 Loesch mean?
A German toponymic surname derived from place names meaning "loose" or "slack," referring to boggy or marshy ground. 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 Loesch (0.74 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 Loesch?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.