2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Fleiss
A metonymic occupational surname derived from the German word "Fleiss" meaning diligence or industriousness.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 156 Americans carry the last name Fleiss. That puts it at #130,360 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,197,143 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fleiss 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
156
1 in 2,197,143
Census rank
#130,360
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
136
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 136 bearers of the surname Fleiss in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 130360th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleiss, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fleiss
The surname Fleiss is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German word "fleiss," which means "diligence" or "industriousness." The name likely originated as a nickname for a hardworking or diligent person, which was later adopted as a hereditary surname.
In the early 14th century, the name Fleiss appeared in various records and documents from the regions of Bavaria and Swabia in southern Germany. The earliest recorded instance of the name dates back to around 1320, when a certain Heinrich Fleiss was mentioned in a church register in the town of Augsburg.
The Fleiss surname was also found in several medieval manuscripts and chronicles, particularly those related to the guild system and trade associations of the time. This suggests that some Fleiss families may have been involved in skilled crafts or professions that required diligence and attention to detail.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname Fleiss was Johann Fleiss (1541-1608), a German Lutheran theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen. Another significant bearer of the name was Christoph Fleiss (1675-1745), a German composer and organist who worked in several churches and courts throughout southern Germany.
In the 18th century, the Fleiss surname gained prominence with the birth of Johann Georg Fleiss (1701-1788), a German mathematician and astronomer who made important contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. His son, Johann Friedrich Fleiss (1741-1815), followed in his footsteps and became a respected astronomer and mathematician as well.
The 19th century saw the emergence of Franz Fleiss (1819-1892), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Fleiss Steel Works in Duisburg. His company played a significant role in the industrialization of the Ruhr region and became one of the leading steel producers in Germany.
While the Fleiss surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, the earliest recorded examples and historical references remain strongly tied to the southern regions of Germany, particularly Bavaria and Swabia, where the name originated.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fleiss
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleiss, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Fleiss 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 Fleiss surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.8% · 118
- Hispanic or Latino9.6% · 13
- Two or more races2.9% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fleiss
Fleiss 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
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,114 places
2020
#130,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 136
+16 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 8,868 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,114 places |
| 2020 | #130,360 | 136 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 8,868 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 Fleiss 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 | #130,360 | 6.4% |
| Count | 120 | 136 | 13.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.05 | 13.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fleiss bearers went from 120 to 136 (+13.3% change). The surname moved up 8,868 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #130,360.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Fleiss
FAQ
Fleiss surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fleiss?
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the surname Fleiss. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,197,143 residents.
How common is Fleiss?
Fleiss ranks #130,360 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 136 people with the surname Fleiss. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (156), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Fleiss.
Has Fleiss become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fleiss went from 120 recorded bearers to 136. That is an increase of 16 (+13.3%). In the national ranking it rose from #139,228 to #130,360.
What does the Census say about the background of Fleiss?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fleiss, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.6%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Fleiss in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.8% (118 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fleiss appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.8%), Hispanic (9.6%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Fleiss (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 Fleiss mean?
A metonymic occupational surname derived from the German word "Fleiss" meaning diligence or industriousness. 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 Fleiss (0.05 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 surname Fleiss?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.