2000
#709
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 43,919
First available Census row
Per 100,000 16.28
Uncommon Last name
Lester
An English occupational surname referring to a dyer, from the Old English word "litster" meaning "to dye."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 48,956 Americans carry the last name Lester. That puts it at #789 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 14.28 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 7,001 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Lester 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 Lester with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
49K
1 in 7,001
Census rank
#789
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
14.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
43K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 42,692 bearers of the surname Lester in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 14.28 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 789th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Lester, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Lester
The surname Lester has its roots in England and is believed to have originated in the late 11th century. It is derived from the Old English word "læster," which means a worker or maker of lasts, which are wooden molds used in shoemaking. The earliest known bearers of the surname were likely individuals involved in the shoemaking trade.
The name has been recorded in various historical documents, including the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as "Lestre." This early spelling suggests that the name was already well-established in parts of England by the late 11th century.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Lester was Robert Lester, who lived in Nottinghamshire, England, in the 12th century. Another early bearer of the name was William Lester, who was recorded in the Pipe Rolls of Lincolnshire in 1195.
The surname Lester has also been associated with various place names in England, such as Lester's Farm in Bedfordshire and Lester's Farm in Gloucestershire. These place names may have derived from individuals bearing the surname who owned or resided in those areas.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the surname Lester. One of the most famous was Sir William Lester (c. 1388-1463), an English knight and military commander who served during the Hundred Years' War. He was known for his bravery and leadership in battles against the French.
Another prominent figure with the surname Lester was Richard Lester (1932-2020), an American film director and producer best known for his work on films like "A Hard Day's Night" and "Superman III." He was born in Philadelphia and had a successful career in the entertainment industry.
Thomas Lester (1720-1804) was an English Baptist minister and author who wrote several religious works and served as a pastor in various churches throughout his life. His writings and sermons were widely influential during his time.
In the field of science, Caspar Lester (1840-1913) was a German-American entomologist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of insects and their behavior. He published numerous scientific papers and articles during his career.
Finally, Richard Lester (1932-2020) was a British film director and producer known for his innovative and influential work in the 1960s and 1970s. He directed iconic films such as "A Hard Day's Night" and "The Three Musketeers," and his unique style left a lasting impact on the cinema industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Lester
Among Census respondents with the surname Lester, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Lester 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 Lester surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.3% · 31,279
- Black or African American18.3% · 7,805
- Two or more races3.9% · 1,646
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 1,288
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 448
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 226
Timeline
Historical Census data for Lester
Lester 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
#768
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 44,784
+865 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 15.18
Rank movement Down 59 places
2020
#789
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 42,692
-2,092 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 14.28
Rank movement Down 21 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #709 | 43,919 | 16.28 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #768 | 44,784 | 15.18 | +865 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 59 places |
| 2020 | #789 | 42,692 | 14.28 | -2,092 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 21 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 Lester 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 | #768 | #789 | -2.7% |
| Count | 44,784 | 42,692 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 15.18 | 14.28 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Lester bearers went from 44,784 to 42,692 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 21 positions in the national ranking, going from #768 to #789.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Lester
FAQ
Lester surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Lester?
Name Census estimates that about 48,956 living Americans carry the surname Lester. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 7,001 residents.
How common is Lester?
Lester ranks #789 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 14.28 per 100,000 residents, which is about 14 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 42,692 people with the surname Lester. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (48,956), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 14.28 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 14.28 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 14 of them to have the surname Lester.
Has Lester become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Lester went from 44,784 recorded bearers to 42,692. That is a decrease of 2,092 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #768 to #789.
What does the Census say about the background of Lester?
Among Census respondents with the surname Lester, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.3%. The next largest groups are Black (18.3%) and Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Lester in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.3% (31,279 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Lester appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.3%), Black (18.3%), Two or More Races (3.9%). 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 Lester (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 Lester mean?
An English occupational surname referring to a dyer, from the Old English word "litster" meaning "to dye." 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 Lester (14.28 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 Lester?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Lester is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.