2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Altenbern
A locational surname derived from a place name, potentially meaning "old barn" or "old settlement".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Altenbern. 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 Altenbern 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 Altenbern 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 Altenbern, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Altenbern
The surname ALTENBERN is of German origin, with roots dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Altenbern, a small village located in the southern part of what is now modern-day Germany. The name itself is derived from the Old High German words "alt," meaning "old," and "bern," meaning "bear," suggesting a possible connection to a settlement or dwelling near an old bear habitat or den.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a 1298 document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which mentions a certain "Johannes von Altenbern." This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the late 13th century. Additionally, the name appears in several other medieval records and manuscripts from various German towns and cities, indicating its widespread use during this period.
In the 15th century, a notable figure with the surname ALTENBERN was Johann Altenbern, a renowned scholar and theologian who lived from 1420 to 1492. He was a professor at the University of Leipzig and authored several influential works on religious doctrine and philosophy.
Another individual of note was Margarethe Altenbern, a prominent figure in the German Reformation movement of the 16th century. Born in 1505, she was a staunch supporter of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the dissemination of Protestant teachings throughout the region.
During the 17th century, the name ALTENBERN gained further prominence with the rise of Hans Altenbern, a successful merchant and banker who lived from 1620 to 1688. He amassed a considerable fortune through his business endeavors and was instrumental in the establishment of several charitable institutions in his hometown of Nuremberg.
In the 19th century, a notable bearer of the ALTENBERN name was Friedrich Altenbern, a renowned poet and writer who lived from 1812 to 1879. His works, which often explored themes of nature and the human experience, were widely acclaimed and contributed significantly to the German literary canon of the time.
Another figure of historical significance was Elise Altenbern, a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights who lived from 1830 to 1902. She established several schools for girls and fought tirelessly for equal educational opportunities for women, leaving a lasting legacy in the realm of gender equality and social reform.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Altenbern
Among Census respondents with the surname Altenbern, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Altenbern 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 Altenbern surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Altenbern
Altenbern 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
#136,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
+6 bearers (+5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,335 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-20 bearers (-16.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,733 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 | #136,449 | 123 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.1%) | Down 3,335 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -20 bearers (-16.3%) | Down 17,733 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 Altenbern 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 | #136,449 | #154,182 | -13.0% |
| Count | 123 | 103 | -16.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Altenbern bearers went from 123 to 103 (-16.3% change). The surname moved down 17,733 positions in the national ranking, going from #136,449 to #154,182.
FAQ
Altenbern surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Altenbern?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Altenbern. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Altenbern?
Altenbern 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 Altenbern. 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 Altenbern.
Has Altenbern become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Altenbern went from 123 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 20 (-16.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #136,449 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Altenbern?
Among Census respondents with the surname Altenbern, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Altenbern in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Altenbern appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Altenbern (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 Altenbern mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, potentially meaning "old barn" or "old settlement". 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 Altenbern (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 are called Altenbern?
See how many people have the last name Altenbern on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.