2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Abfall
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "abefall," meaning "offense" or "that which falls away."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Abfall. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Abfall 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Abfall in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Abfall, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Abfall
The surname ABFALL is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "abfall," which means "refuse" or "waste." This name likely originated as a descriptive term for someone who lived near a garbage dump or worked in a profession related to waste disposal.
In the early Middle Ages, many people were identified by their occupations or the locations where they lived. As such, the name ABFALL may have been initially given to someone who resided near a waste disposal site or worked as a refuse collector or scavenger.
The earliest recorded instances of the name ABFALL can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various Germanic regions, such as Saxony and Bavaria. One notable individual bearing this surname was Hans ABFALL (c. 1420-1489), a merchant and landowner from Nuremberg, who was mentioned in historical records for his successful trade ventures.
Another early record of the name ABFALL can be found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, where a family by the name of ABFALL is mentioned in a 1487 tax register. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by that time.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure with the surname ABFALL was Martin ABFALL (c. 1510-1578), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
Moving into the 17th century, Johann ABFALL (1620-1696) was a notable German composer and organist from Nuremberg. He is particularly known for his contributions to church music and his compositions for organ and choir.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name ABFALL in the New World can be found in the records of Pennsylvania, where Johannes ABFALL (1735-1812) was among the first German immigrants to settle in the colony in the mid-18th century.
While the name ABFALL is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins as a descriptive name in the medieval period. The individuals mentioned above represent just a few examples of notable figures who have borne this surname throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Abfall
Among Census respondents with the surname Abfall, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Abfall 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 Abfall surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 120
Timeline
Historical Census data for Abfall
Abfall 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,382 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+7 bearers (+6.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Down 3,382 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.2%) | Up 4,152 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 Abfall 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 | #146,201 | #142,049 | 2.8% |
| Count | 113 | 120 | 6.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Abfall bearers went from 113 to 120 (+6.2% change). The surname moved up 4,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #142,049.
FAQ
Abfall surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Abfall?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Abfall. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Abfall?
Abfall ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Abfall. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Abfall.
Has Abfall become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Abfall went from 113 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 7 (+6.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Abfall?
Among Census respondents with the surname Abfall, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Abfall in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (120 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Abfall appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Abfall (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 Abfall mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "abefall," meaning "offense" or "that which falls away." 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 Abfall (0.04 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 Americans have the surname Abfall?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.