2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Slesser
A locational surname originating from a place in Scotland.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Slesser. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slesser 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Slesser with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Slesser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slesser
The surname Slesser is believed to have originated in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old English word "slæcc," meaning "valley" or "hollow," combined with the suffix "-er," indicating someone who lived in or near such a location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the Ragman Rolls of 1296, a series of homage rolls documenting those who pledged allegiance to King Edward I of England. The entry "John de Slascher" is thought to be an early variation of the Slesser surname.
The name can also be traced back to the Scottish village of Slessors, located in Fife. This place name likely influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time. In the 16th century, records show a John Slesser was a burgess (a respected citizen) of Cupar, a town in Fife.
During the 17th century, the surname gained some prominence in Scotland. Robert Slesser (1592-1668) was a notable Presbyterian minister and theologian who served as the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland in 1638.
Another historical figure was Sir John Slesser (1745-1825), a Scottish merchant and landowner who made his fortune in the West Indies. He acquired extensive property in Aberdeenshire and served as Lord Provost of Aberdeen from 1812 to 1815.
In the 19th century, Sir Henry Slesser (1838-1912) was a prominent British lawyer and judge. He served as Solicitor General for England and Wales from 1905 to 1909 and later became a Lord Justice of Appeal.
During the early 20th century, Henry Handel Slesser (1886-1948) was a notable British author and journalist. He wrote several works of non-fiction, including biographies of politicians and commentaries on contemporary issues.
Another noteworthy individual was Sir John Slesser (1897-1979), a Royal Air Force air marshal who served as Commander-in-Chief of RAF Coastal Command during World War II. He played a crucial role in the Battle of the Atlantic against German U-boats.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slesser
Among Census respondents with the surname Slesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Slesser 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 Slesser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino7.1% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slesser
Slesser 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+15 bearers (+14.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,179 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,805 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +15 bearers (+14.9%) | Up 6,179 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 4,805 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 Slesser 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 | #143,149 | #147,954 | -3.4% |
| Count | 116 | 112 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slesser bearers went from 116 to 112 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 4,805 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #147,954.
FAQ
Slesser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slesser?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Slesser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Slesser?
Slesser ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Slesser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Slesser.
Has Slesser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slesser went from 116 recorded bearers to 112. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Slesser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Slesser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slesser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (7.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Slesser (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 Slesser mean?
A locational surname originating from a place in Scotland. 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 Slesser (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 common is the surname Slesser?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Slesser at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.