2000
#46,758
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 428
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.16
Very Rare Last name
Leiber
A surname possibly derived from the German term "lieb" meaning "dear" or "beloved".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 477 Americans carry the last name Leiber. That puts it at #53,634 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.14 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 718,563 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Leiber 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
477
1 in 718,563
Census rank
#53,634
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
416
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 416 bearers of the surname Leiber in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.14 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 53634th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Leiber, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Leiber
The surname Leiber originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Leib," which means "body" or "life." The name likely referred to someone who was physically strong or had a robust constitution.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Leiber can be found in the German town of Kaiserslautern, where a nobleman named Johann Leiber lived in the 14th century. He was a prominent figure in the region and owned several estates.
In the 15th century, the name Leiber appeared in various legal documents and land records across southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. This suggests that the name was well-established among both noble and commoner families during that period.
The surname Leiber is also closely associated with the town of Leibertingen, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is believed that the town's name may have been derived from an early settler with the surname Leiber, further reinforcing the name's deep roots in the region.
Notable individuals with the surname Leiber include:
1. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz (1646-1716), a German philosopher, mathematician, and scientist who made significant contributions to the development of calculus and the binary system.
2. Fritz Leiber (1910-1992), an American author of fantasy and science fiction novels, known for his works such as the Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser series.
3. Margot Leiber (1909-2008), a German-American artist and designer, renowned for her intricate and whimsical handbags and accessories.
4. Justin Leiber (1890-1967), an American author and lawyer who wrote several mystery novels and legal thrillers.
5. Robert Leiber (1887-1967), an American artist and sculptor, known for his bronze figurative works and his association with the Ashcan School of American art.
While the surname Leiber has found its way into various parts of the world due to immigration and migration, its roots can be traced back to the medieval German regions, where it held a strong presence and association with strength, vitality, and notable individuals throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Leiber
Among Census respondents with the surname Leiber, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Leiber 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 Leiber surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.7% · 394
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 13
- Two or more races1.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Leiber
Leiber 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
#50,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 417
-11 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 3,438 places
2020
#53,634
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 416
-1 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 0.14
Rank movement Down 3,438 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #46,758 | 428 | 0.16 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #50,196 | 417 | 0.14 | -11 bearers (-2.6%) | Down 3,438 places |
| 2020 | #53,634 | 416 | 0.14 | -1 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 3,438 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 Leiber 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 | #50,196 | #53,634 | -6.8% |
| Count | 417 | 416 | -0.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.14 | 0.14 | -0.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Leiber bearers went from 417 to 416 (-0.2% change). The surname moved down 3,438 positions in the national ranking, going from #50,196 to #53,634.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Leiber
FAQ
Leiber surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Leiber?
Name Census estimates that about 477 living Americans carry the surname Leiber. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 718,563 residents.
How common is Leiber?
Leiber ranks #53,634 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.14 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 416 people with the surname Leiber. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (477), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.14 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.14 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 Leiber.
Has Leiber become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Leiber went from 417 recorded bearers to 416. That is a decrease of 1 (-0.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #50,196 to #53,634.
What does the Census say about the background of Leiber?
Among Census respondents with the surname Leiber, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Leiber in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.7% (394 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Leiber appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.7%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Leiber (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 Leiber mean?
A surname possibly derived from the German term "lieb" meaning "dear" or "beloved". 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 Leiber (0.14 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 last name Leiber?
Want to know how many people are called Leiber? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.