2000
#8,684
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,484
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.29
Rare Last name
Slusser
An occupational surname for someone who operated canal locks or sluice gates.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,742 Americans carry the last name Slusser. That puts it at #9,529 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 91,597 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Slusser 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
3.7K
1 in 91,597
Census rank
#9,529
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,263 bearers of the surname Slusser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9529th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Slusser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Slusser
The surname Slusser is of German origin, derived from the medieval German word "sluss" meaning a sluice or lock. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria in southern Germany during the 13th century.
In its earliest form, the name was likely a occupational surname given to those who operated or maintained sluices or locks along rivers and canals. The waterways were vital for transportation and commerce, and the sluice operators played a crucial role in controlling the flow of water.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Slusser can be found in the Bavarian town of Ingolstadt, where a man named Hans Slusser was listed as a resident in a local census from the year 1437.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, various spelling variations emerged, including Schlusser, Schlüsser, and Slusher. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping during the Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Slusser was Johann Slusser (1506-1572), a prominent merchant and landowner from the city of Nuremberg. His wealth and influence allowed him to become a respected member of the city's elite circles.
Another historical figure was Friedrich Slusser (1647-1721), a Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony, who wrote several influential works on Protestant doctrine and theology.
During the 18th century, the Slusser name found its way to the United States through German immigration. One of the earliest recorded instances was that of Johann Gottlieb Slusser (1732-1803), who settled in Pennsylvania in the 1750s and established a prosperous farm.
In the 19th century, Michael Slusser (1818-1892) was a prominent businessman and philanthropist from Ohio. He made his fortune in the shipping and transportation industry, and his generous donations helped establish several educational institutions in the region.
Another notable individual was Anna Slusser (1862-1948), a pioneering educator and social reformer from New York. She dedicated her life to improving educational opportunities for underprivileged children and advocating for women's rights.
While the Slusser name may have evolved over centuries and across continents, its origins can be traced back to the sluice operators of medieval Bavaria, whose vital work helped shape the landscape and facilitate the flow of commerce along the region's waterways.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Slusser
Among Census respondents with the surname Slusser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Slusser 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 Slusser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 2,993
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 116
- Two or more races3.5% · 114
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Slusser
Slusser 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
#9,293
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,502
+18 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 609 places
2020
#9,529
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,263
-239 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 1.09
Rank movement Down 236 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,684 | 3,484 | 1.29 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,293 | 3,502 | 1.19 | +18 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 609 places |
| 2020 | #9,529 | 3,263 | 1.09 | -239 bearers (-6.8%) | Down 236 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 Slusser 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 | #9,293 | #9,529 | -2.5% |
| Count | 3,502 | 3,263 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.19 | 1.09 | -8.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Slusser bearers went from 3,502 to 3,263 (-6.8% change). The surname moved down 236 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,293 to #9,529.
FAQ
Slusser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Slusser?
Name Census estimates that about 3,742 living Americans carry the surname Slusser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 91,597 residents.
How common is Slusser?
Slusser ranks #9,529 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.09 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,263 people with the surname Slusser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,742), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.09 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Slusser.
Has Slusser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Slusser went from 3,502 recorded bearers to 3,263. That is a decrease of 239 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,293 to #9,529.
What does the Census say about the background of Slusser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Slusser, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Slusser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (2,993 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Slusser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Slusser (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 Slusser mean?
An occupational surname for someone who operated canal locks or sluice gates. 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 Slusser (1.09 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 Slusser?
If you just want to know how common the surname Slusser is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.