2000
#4,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 6,840
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.54
Rare Last name
Luster
An occupational surname for a person who makes or sells candles or other sources of light.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 8,110 Americans carry the last name Luster. That puts it at #4,841 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.37 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 42,263 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Luster 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
8.1K
1 in 42,263
Census rank
#4,841
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
7.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 7,072 bearers of the surname Luster in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.37 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 4841st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Luster, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.0%. The next largest groups are White (42.4%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Luster
The surname Luster originated in England during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "lust," which meant "pleasure" or "delight." Over time, the word took on the meaning of "desire" or "lust," and the surname came to be associated with those who worked in pleasurable or luxurious trades, such as dyers, weavers, or makers of fine cloth.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Luster can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The entry mentions a person named Luster residing in the village of Walsingham, Norfolk.
During the 13th century, the name appears in various historical records, such as the Hundred Rolls of 1273, which lists a Robert Luster from Oxfordshire. In the 14th century, the surname is found in the Poll Tax Returns of 1379, which includes a John Luster from Yorkshire.
Notable individuals with the surname Luster include Sir John Luster (1567-1638), an English merchant and Member of Parliament for the City of London. Another prominent figure was William Luster (1623-1698), a celebrated English botanist and author of the book "The Herbal" published in 1670.
In the 18th century, the Luster family established themselves as prominent landowners in the county of Gloucestershire. One of their ancestors, Thomas Luster (1712-1790), was a wealthy merchant and philanthropist who funded the construction of several churches and schools in the region.
Another individual of note was Elizabeth Luster (1789-1867), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She established one of the first schools for girls in London and was a vocal supporter of the suffrage movement.
During the 19th century, the Luster surname gained prominence in the United States, with many immigrants from England settling in various parts of the country. One notable American Luster was James Luster (1821-1894), a businessman and politician who served as the mayor of St. Louis, Missouri, from 1875 to 1879.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and notable individuals associated with the surname Luster. While its origins can be traced back to medieval England, the name has since spread across the globe, leaving its mark on various communities and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Luster
Among Census respondents with the surname Luster, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.0%. The next largest groups are White (42.4%) and Two or More Races (6.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Luster 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 Luster surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American47.0% · 3,326
- White42.4% · 2,995
- Two or more races6.1% · 434
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 234
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Luster
Luster 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
#4,823
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,316
+476 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 2.48
Rank movement Down 82 places
2020
#4,841
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 7,072
-244 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 2.37
Rank movement Down 18 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #4,741 | 6,840 | 2.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #4,823 | 7,316 | 2.48 | +476 bearers (+7.0%) | Down 82 places |
| 2020 | #4,841 | 7,072 | 2.37 | -244 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 18 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 Luster 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 | #4,823 | #4,841 | -0.4% |
| Count | 7,316 | 7,072 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 2.48 | 2.37 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Luster bearers went from 7,316 to 7,072 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 18 positions in the national ranking, going from #4,823 to #4,841.
FAQ
Luster surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Luster?
Name Census estimates that about 8,110 living Americans carry the surname Luster. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 42,263 residents.
How common is Luster?
Luster ranks #4,841 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.37 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 7,072 people with the surname Luster. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (8,110), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.37 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.37 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Luster.
Has Luster become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Luster went from 7,316 recorded bearers to 7,072. That is a decrease of 244 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #4,823 to #4,841.
What does the Census say about the background of Luster?
Among Census respondents with the surname Luster, the largest self-reported group is Black at 47.0%. The next largest groups are White (42.4%) and Two or More Races (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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Luster in the 2020 Census, accounting for 47.0% (3,326 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Luster appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (47.0%), White (42.4%), Two or More Races (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 Luster (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 Luster mean?
An occupational surname for a person who makes or sells candles or other sources of light. 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 Luster (2.37 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 Luster?
Find out how many people have the last name Luster on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.