Lustig
A German and Jewish surname meaning "funny" or "amusing," referring to a person with a cheerful disposition.
According to the 2010 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,982 Americans carry the last name Lustig. That puts it at #12,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,941 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lustig surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, 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
3.0K
1 in 114,941
Census rank
#12,164
2010 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,562 bearers of the surname Lustig in its 2010 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lustig, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lustig
The surname Lustig originated in Germany in the late Middle Ages, emerging around the 13th or 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "lustic," meaning "pleasant" or "cheerful." This suggests that the name may have been initially given as a descriptive nickname to someone with a jovial or merry disposition.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Lustig can be found in various German records and documents from the 14th and 15th centuries. For example, a Johann Lustig is mentioned in a 1468 registry from the town of Erfurt in Thuringia. Another early reference is to a Claus Lustig, who appears in a 1492 tax record from Nuremberg.
In some regions, the name may have evolved from or been influenced by similar-sounding place names, such as the town of Lustnau in Baden-Württemberg or the village of Lüstnitz in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. However, the direct connection between the surname and these place names is not entirely clear.
Over the centuries, the name Lustig has been borne by several notable individuals, including Johann Lustig (1615-1682), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Dukes of Saxe-Weissenfels. Another was Johann Lustig (1722-1780), a German Protestant theologian and author.
In the 19th century, Anton Lustig (1786-1859) was an Austrian operatic tenor who performed at the Kärntnertortheater in Vienna. Around the same time, Rudolf Lustig (1841-1888) was a German architect and engineer who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Börse.
One of the most famous bearers of the name was Arnošt Lustig (1926-2011), a renowned Czech writer and Holocaust survivor whose works explored the experiences of Jews during World War II. His notable novels include "Night and Hope" and "Dita Saxová."
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lustig
Among Census respondents with the surname Lustig, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Lustig bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2010 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.
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 Lustig surname at the time of the 2010 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6%
- Hispanic or Latino2.8%
- Two or more races0.8%
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6%
- Unknown or suppressed0.2%
Year on year
2000 vs 2010 Census
How has the Lustig surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
| Metric | 2000 | 2010 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,496 | #12,164 | -5.8% |
| Count | 2,512 | 2,562 | 2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.93 | 0.87 | -6.5% |
Between the 2000 and 2010 Census, the number of Lustig bearers went from 2,512 to 2,562 (+2.0% change). The surname moved down 668 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,496 to #12,164.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lustig
FAQ
Lustig surname: questions and answers
How common is the last name Lustig?
The surname Lustig holds position #12,164 in the US Census Bureau's surname ranking, with an estimated 2,982 living bearers. It occurs at a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 Americans.
What is the ethnic background of the Lustig surname?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lustig, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). These figures come from the 2010 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Where does this surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These tables list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2010 Census, along with a frequency rate and self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.