Lerner

Lerner is a surname of Ashkenazi Jewish origin that is commonly found among people of German and Eastern European descent. The name is often linked to German roots related to learning or teaching, though its exact etymology can vary by family and region.

Notable individuals with the surname include Alan Jay Lerner (1918–1986), an American lyricist and librettist who collaborated with composer Frederick Loewe on several successful musicals, including My Fair Lady, Camelot, and Gigi. Abba P. Lerner (1906–1982) was an American economist known for his work in macroeconomics and for the Lerner index, a measure of a firm’s market power defined as the markup of price over marginal cost.

Lerner also appears in organizational names, such as the Lerner Publishing Group, an American publishing company that produces books for children and young adults. In economics, the Lerner index remains a standard concept used to assess the degree of monopoly power in a market. The surname has appeared in various fields and contexts, reflecting its broad adoption across communities and professions.