2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Alfeld
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Alfeld in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Alfeld. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Alfeld 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Alfeld in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Alfeld
The surname Alfeld is of German origin and is derived from the place name Alfeld, a town located in Lower Saxony, Germany. The name is believed to have originated during the medieval period, when surnames began to be adopted based on one's place of origin or residence.
The earliest known record of the surname Alfeld can be traced back to the 13th century. In a document dated 1272, a certain "Henricus de Alvelde" is mentioned, suggesting that the name was already in use at that time. The prefix "de" in this case indicates a connection to the town of Alfeld.
The name Alfeld itself is thought to be derived from the Old Saxon words "al" meaning "old" and "feld" meaning "field" or "open land." This suggests that the town of Alfeld may have been established in an area of old fields or open land, and those who hailed from this town adopted the name as their surname.
In the 14th century, the surname Alfeld appeared in various records across different regions of Germany. One notable example is Johann von Alfeld, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from around 1280 to 1350. He was a prominent figure in the scholastic movement and authored several works on theology and philosophy.
During the 16th century, the surname Alfeld can be found in various legal documents and records, such as property deeds and court proceedings. One notable individual from this period was Christoph Alfeld, a German Protestant theologian and reformer who lived from 1504 to 1564. He played a significant role in the Reformation movement and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
In the 18th century, Johann Wilhelm Alfeld (1701-1768) was a German lawyer and legal scholar who made significant contributions to the field of civil law. His works on legal theory and practice were widely influential during his time.
Another notable figure with the surname Alfeld was Friedrich August Alfeld (1798-1871), a German botanist and naturalist. He conducted extensive research on the flora of Germany and published several works on plant taxonomy and ecology.
Throughout history, the surname Alfeld has been relatively uncommon, but it has persisted in various regions of Germany, particularly in Lower Saxony and surrounding areas. While not widely known, the name has been associated with individuals who have made contributions in fields such as theology, law, and natural sciences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Alfeld
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Alfeld 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 Alfeld surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.3% · 93
- Two or more races5.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Alfeld
Alfeld 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+20 bearers (+19.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,917 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-19 bearers (-15.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 16,855 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+19.6%) | Up 10,917 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -19 bearers (-15.6%) | Down 16,855 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 Alfeld 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 | #137,327 | #154,182 | -12.3% |
| Count | 122 | 103 | -15.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Alfeld bearers went from 122 to 103 (-15.6% change). The surname moved down 16,855 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #154,182.
FAQ
Alfeld surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Alfeld?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Alfeld. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Alfeld?
Alfeld ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Alfeld. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Alfeld.
Has Alfeld become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Alfeld went from 122 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 19 (-15.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Alfeld?
Among Census respondents with the surname Alfeld, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Alfeld in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.3% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Alfeld appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.3%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Alfeld (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 Alfeld mean?
A locational surname referring to someone from the town of Alfeld in Germany. 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 Alfeld (0.03 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 have the surname Alfeld?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.