2000
#150,436
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Adner
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Hebrew word "adar," meaning "strength" or "power."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Adner. 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 Adner 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 Adner 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 Adner, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Adner
The surname Adner has its roots in the German and Scandinavian regions, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a locational name, derived from the Old Norse word "ǫðnarr," which means "prosperous" or "wealthy," combined with the suffix "-er," indicating a place or origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Adner can be found in the Diplomatarium Norvegicum, a collection of Norwegian medieval diplomas and documents. In this collection, there is a reference to a person named "Ödner" from the 13th century, which is likely an early spelling variation of the surname.
In Sweden, the name Adner has been documented since the 16th century. One notable individual bearing this surname was Johan Adner (1659-1720), a Swedish theologian and professor at Uppsala University. He was known for his contributions to the field of theology and his published works, such as "Dissertatio de Theologia Naturali" (1695).
In Germany, the name Adner has a slightly different spelling variation, "Adner." One of the earliest records of this spelling can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the village of Obergemünden in Hessen, where a family named Adner is mentioned in the 17th century.
Another notable figure with the surname Adner was August Friedrich Adner (1816-1891), a German artist and painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. He studied at the Prussian Academy of Arts in Berlin and exhibited his works in various galleries throughout Germany.
In the United Kingdom, the name Adner has been recorded since the 18th century, likely introduced by German or Scandinavian immigrants. One example is John Adner (1758-1838), a British clergyman and author who served as the rector of Winwick in Lancashire.
Other notable individuals with the surname Adner include:
- Carl Adner (1837-1901), a Swedish engineer and industrialist who founded the Adner Mechanical Workshop in Stockholm.
- Wilhelm Adner (1886-1967), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Berlin.
- Elsa Adner (1875-1958), a Swedish author and playwright known for her works exploring women's rights and social issues.
- Hans Adner (1911-1988), a German-American chemist and researcher who made significant contributions to the field of polymer science.
While the surname Adner may not be as common as some others, it has a rich history spanning several countries and centuries, with individuals who have made notable contributions in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Adner
Among Census respondents with the surname Adner, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Adner 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 Adner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.8% · 103
- Black or African American6.7% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Adner
Adner 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
+2 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,996 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+18 bearers (+17.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 16,383 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #150,436 | 100 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | +2 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 7,996 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | +18 bearers (+17.6%) | Up 16,383 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 Adner 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 | #158,432 | #142,049 | 10.3% |
| Count | 102 | 120 | 17.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 33.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Adner bearers went from 102 to 120 (+17.6% change). The surname moved up 16,383 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #142,049.
FAQ
Adner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Adner?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Adner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Adner?
Adner 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 Adner. 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 Adner.
Has Adner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Adner went from 102 recorded bearers to 120. That is an increase of 18 (+17.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Adner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Adner, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.8%. The next largest groups are Black (6.7%) and Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Adner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Adner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.8%), Black (6.7%), Hispanic (5.0%). 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 Adner (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 Adner mean?
A Jewish occupational surname derived from the Hebrew word "adar," meaning "strength" or "power." 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 Adner (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 people share the surname Adner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.