2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ackerberg
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone who lived near a plowed field on a hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Ackerberg. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ackerberg 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Ackerberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackerberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ackerberg
The surname Ackerberg has its origins in Germany, dating back to the early 16th century. It is a locational name, derived from the place name "Ackerberg," which means "field mountain" or "hill field" in German. The name likely originated in the region of Saxony, where many small villages and towns bore similar names related to topographical features.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ackerberg can be found in the parish registers of the town of Glauchau, near Chemnitz, in 1532. The entry refers to a "Hans Ackerberg," who was a landowner and farmer in the area. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with agricultural pursuits or land ownership.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Ackerberg appeared in various historical records across central and eastern Germany. In 1671, a "Johann Ackerberg" was listed as a master blacksmith in the town of Freiberg, Saxony. In 1734, a "Christian Ackerberg" was recorded as a prominent merchant and alderman in the city of Leipzig.
As for notable individuals bearing the surname Ackerberg, one of the earliest was Christoph Ackerberg (1575-1638), a renowned Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg. Another notable figure was Johann Friedrich Ackerberg (1711-1785), a German composer and Kapellmeister (music director) who served at the court of the Prince of Anhalt-Zerbst.
In the 19th century, the Ackerberg name gained prominence in the field of engineering and industry. August Ackerberg (1835-1912) was a pioneering German civil engineer who designed and constructed several important bridges and railroads across Europe. His son, Emil Ackerberg (1867-1943), followed in his footsteps and became a respected structural engineer, known for his work on notable buildings in Berlin and Hamburg.
Another notable figure from this era was the German philosopher and writer, Karl Ackerberg (1820-1898), who authored several influential works on ethics and social theory. His contemporary, Otto Ackerberg (1824-1896), was a celebrated landscape painter whose works captured the beauty of the German countryside and alpine regions.
While the Ackerberg surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by emigrant families seeking new opportunities. However, the name's rich history and connection to the German language and cultural heritage remain deeply ingrained in its origins and meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ackerberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackerberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Ackerberg 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 Ackerberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 106
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 8
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ackerberg
Ackerberg 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
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,969 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,800 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 6,969 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 5,800 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 Ackerberg 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 | #145,028 | -4.2% |
| Count | 120 | 116 | -3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ackerberg bearers went from 120 to 116 (-3.3% change). The surname moved down 5,800 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #145,028.
FAQ
Ackerberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ackerberg?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Ackerberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Ackerberg?
Ackerberg ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Ackerberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Ackerberg.
Has Ackerberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ackerberg went from 120 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Ackerberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ackerberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Black (0.9%). 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 Ackerberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ackerberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (6.9%), Black (0.9%). 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 Ackerberg (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 Ackerberg mean?
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone who lived near a plowed field on a hill. 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 Ackerberg (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 Ackerberg?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.