2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Luttinger
A surname potentially derived from an occupational name related to lute-making or music.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Luttinger. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Luttinger 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Luttinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Luttinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Luttinger
The surname Luttinger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the late Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, specifically around the city of Munich. The name is derived from the Old High German word "lutta," which means "to stir or churn," and the suffix "-inger," indicating a place of origin or familial lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Luttinger can be found in the Bavarian State Archives, where a certain Hans Luttinger is mentioned in a document dated 1457. This document relates to a land dispute, suggesting that the Luttinger family may have been involved in agricultural activities or land ownership in that region.
During the 16th century, the name Luttinger appeared in several parish records and tax rolls in the towns of Dachau and Freising, near Munich. This indicates that the Luttinger family had established a presence in these areas and was likely engaged in farming or other local trades.
In the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Luttinger (1638-1712) was a Benedictine monk and scholar who served as the abbot of the Benedictine monastery in Tegernsee, Bavaria. He was known for his contributions to the study of theology and philosophy during his time.
Another prominent individual with the surname Luttinger was Wilhelm Luttinger (1753-1828), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and construction of several notable buildings and public spaces in the city of Munich during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
In the 19th century, the name Luttinger gained recognition in the field of mathematics through the work of Johann Luttinger (1835-1904), a German mathematician and professor at the University of Munich. He made significant contributions to the study of differential equations and analytical mechanics.
Additionally, the Luttinger family name is associated with the town of Luttingen, located in the Swabian region of southern Germany. This town's name is derived from the same root as the surname Luttinger, suggesting a possible connection between the family and this geographic location.
While the Luttinger surname has its origins in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the historical records and notable figures mentioned above provide insight into the early origins and significance of this surname within the German cultural and linguistic context.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Luttinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Luttinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Luttinger 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 Luttinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Luttinger
Luttinger 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-11 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,448 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-18 bearers (-15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 15,527 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 17,448 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -18 bearers (-15.0%) | Down 15,527 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 Luttinger 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 | #139,228 | #154,755 | -11.2% |
| Count | 120 | 102 | -15.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Luttinger bearers went from 120 to 102 (-15.0% change). The surname moved down 15,527 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #154,755.
FAQ
Luttinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Luttinger?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Luttinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Luttinger?
Luttinger ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Luttinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Luttinger.
Has Luttinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Luttinger went from 120 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 18 (-15.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Luttinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Luttinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.9%) and Black (1.0%). 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 Luttinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Luttinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Hispanic (2.9%), Black (1.0%). 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 Luttinger (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 Luttinger mean?
A surname potentially derived from an occupational name related to lute-making or music. 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 Luttinger (0.03 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 Luttinger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.