2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Lustenberger
A German surname derived from the words "Lust" (meaning pleasure or delight) and "Berg" (meaning hill or mountain).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Lustenberger. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lustenberger 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Lustenberger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lustenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lustenberger
The surname Lustenberger has its origins in Switzerland, specifically in the German-speaking regions of the country. It is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, likely between the 12th and 15th centuries.
One of the earliest known references to the name can be found in a document from the city of Bern, dated 1437, which mentions a certain "Hans Lustenberger." This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
The name Lustenberger is thought to be derived from a combination of two German words: "Lust" meaning pleasure or delight, and "Berg" meaning mountain or hill. Therefore, it is believed to have originally referred to a person living near or on a pleasantly situated hill or mountain.
In the 16th century, records show a notable individual named Peter Lustenberger (1522-1601), who was a prominent Protestant theologian and reformer in Switzerland. He played a significant role in the Swiss Reformation and was a close associate of Huldrych Zwingli.
Another historical figure with the surname Lustenberger was Johann Jakob Lustenberger (1677-1747), a Swiss painter and engraver who was active in Bern during the Baroque period. His works can be found in various churches and museums in Switzerland.
During the 18th century, the name appears in the records of the Canton of Zurich, where a family of Lustenbergers were prominent landowners and merchants. One notable member was Hans Rudolf Lustenberger (1726-1792), who served as a mayor and magistrate in the town of Uster.
In the 19th century, a Swiss politician and lawyer named Johann Konrad Lustenberger (1818-1889) gained prominence. He was a member of the Swiss Federal Council, serving as the head of the Federal Department of Finance from 1866 to 1870.
Another notable figure was the Swiss educator and author, Emil Lustenberger (1856-1926), who was a pioneer in the field of vocational education and published several influential works on the subject.
While the name Lustenberger is primarily associated with Switzerland, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration, particularly to regions with significant Swiss diaspora communities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lustenberger
Among Census respondents with the surname Lustenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Lustenberger 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 Lustenberger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lustenberger
Lustenberger 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
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+16 bearers (+15.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,604 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,484 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.2%) | Up 6,604 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,484 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 Lustenberger 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 | #138,304 | #142,788 | -3.2% |
| Count | 121 | 119 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lustenberger bearers went from 121 to 119 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,484 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #142,788.
FAQ
Lustenberger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lustenberger?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Lustenberger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Lustenberger?
Lustenberger ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Lustenberger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Lustenberger.
Has Lustenberger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lustenberger went from 121 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Lustenberger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lustenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Black (2.5%). 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 Lustenberger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lustenberger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Hispanic (3.4%), Black (2.5%). 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 Lustenberger (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 Lustenberger mean?
A German surname derived from the words "Lust" (meaning pleasure or delight) and "Berg" (meaning hill or mountain). 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 Lustenberger (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 Americans have the surname Lustenberger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.