2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Ahlefeld
Derived from a German place name meaning "field of eels" or from "Adelfeld," meaning "noble field."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Ahlefeld. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Ahlefeld 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Ahlefeld in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Ahlefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Ahlefeld
The surname Ahlefeld is of German origin, with roots dating back to the early Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of present-day Germany, particularly in Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony. The name is derived from the Old Saxon words "ahl" meaning meadow or pasture, and "feld" meaning field, suggesting that the earliest bearers were likely associated with agricultural lands or settlements near meadows.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Ahlefeld can be found in the Liber Census Daniae, a Danish census record from the late 13th century, where it appears as "Alenfeld." This variation in spelling was common during that era, as standardized spellings had not yet been established. Over time, the name evolved to its modern form, Ahlefeld.
In the 14th century, the Ahlefeld family gained prominence as landowners and noblemen in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein. Notable figures include Gottschalk Ahlefeld (1328-1398), a knight and military commander who fought in the wars between Denmark and the Hanseatic League. His son, Johann Ahlefeld (1360-1425), served as a trusted advisor to the Danish King Eric VII.
During the Renaissance period, the Ahlefeld family branched out into various professions and disciplines. Hans Ahlefeld (1492-1568) was a renowned scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Wittenberg and contributed to the Protestant Reformation. His nephew, Detlev Ahlefeld (1512-1580), was a successful merchant and shipowner based in the city of Lübeck.
In the 17th century, the name Ahlefeld gained further prominence through the exploits of Joachim Ahlefeld (1592-1663), a Danish statesman and military leader who played a significant role in the Thirty Years' War. His son, Frederik Ahlefeld (1623-1686), followed in his footsteps and served as a diplomat and governor of the Danish territories.
Throughout the centuries, the Ahlefeld name has been associated with various notable figures, including Johann Ahlefeld (1646-1723), a German composer and organist; Friedrich von Ahlefeld (1774-1853), a Prussian general and military reformer; and Ernst Ahlefeld (1814-1891), a German painter and illustrator.
The surname Ahlefeld continues to be prevalent in Germany and other parts of Northern Europe, carrying a rich legacy of historical significance and contributions across various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Ahlefeld
Among Census respondents with the surname Ahlefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Ahlefeld 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 Ahlefeld surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.5% · 91
- Two or more races10.1% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.7% · 4
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Ahlefeld
Ahlefeld 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+7 bearers (+6.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,479 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-15 bearers (-12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,612 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.0%) | Down 2,479 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.1%) | Down 14,612 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 Ahlefeld 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 | #135,593 | #150,205 | -10.8% |
| Count | 124 | 109 | -12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Ahlefeld bearers went from 124 to 109 (-12.1% change). The surname moved down 14,612 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #150,205.
FAQ
Ahlefeld surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Ahlefeld?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Ahlefeld. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Ahlefeld?
Ahlefeld ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Ahlefeld. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Ahlefeld.
Has Ahlefeld become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Ahlefeld went from 124 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Ahlefeld?
Among Census respondents with the surname Ahlefeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (10.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%). 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 Ahlefeld in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.5% (91 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Ahlefeld appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.5%), Two or More Races (10.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.7%). 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 Ahlefeld (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 Ahlefeld mean?
Derived from a German place name meaning "field of eels" or from "Adelfeld," meaning "noble field." 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 Ahlefeld (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 are called Ahlefeld?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Ahlefeld is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.