2000
#112,365
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 145
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Backner
A German surname derived from the occupation of a baker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Backner. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Backner 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Backner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Backner, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Backner
The surname Backner is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Bavaria, with the earliest known spelling being "Bäckner." This name likely evolved from the old German word "Bäcker," which translates to "baker," indicating that the original bearers of this name were likely bakers by trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Backner can be found in the medieval tax records of the town of Augsburg, dated 1387. These records mention a certain "Hans Bäckner," who was listed as a resident and likely a baker within the town's guild system.
During the 16th century, the name Backner began to spread beyond its Bavarian origins as a result of the Protestant Reformation and the ensuing religious conflicts. Historical records from this period show that families bearing this name sought refuge in neighboring regions, including parts of Saxony and Thuringia.
In the 17th century, the surname Backner appeared in the parish records of the town of Erfurt, where a family by the name of Backner was documented as residing from 1612 to 1674. One notable member of this family was Johann Backner, a master baker who lived from 1630 to 1698.
As the centuries progressed, the Backner name continued to spread throughout German-speaking regions. In the late 18th century, a prominent figure by the name of Friedrich Backner (1738-1812) emerged as a respected theologian and author, publishing several influential works on Christian philosophy.
Another notable individual with the surname Backner was Carl Backner (1867-1941), a German-born architect who had a significant impact on the architectural landscape of early 20th century Chicago. Some of his most renowned works include the Uptown Theater and the Aragon Ballroom.
Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, many Backner families immigrated to the United States, particularly to cities with large German communities, such as Milwaukee, Cincinnati, and St. Louis. One such immigrant was Ernst Backner (1885-1963), who arrived in New York in 1912 and went on to become a successful businessman in the textile industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Backner
Among Census respondents with the surname Backner, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Backner 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 Backner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.2% · 97
- Black or African American9.3% · 11
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Backner
Backner 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-17 bearers (-11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,841 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-10 bearers (-7.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,305 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,365 | 145 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-11.7%) | Down 19,841 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.8%) | Down 11,305 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 Backner 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 | #132,206 | #143,511 | -8.6% |
| Count | 128 | 118 | -7.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Backner bearers went from 128 to 118 (-7.8% change). The surname moved down 11,305 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #143,511.
FAQ
Backner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Backner?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Backner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Backner?
Backner ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Backner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Backner.
Has Backner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Backner went from 128 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Backner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Backner, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.3%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Backner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Backner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.2%), Black (9.3%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Backner (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 Backner mean?
A German surname derived from the occupation of a baker. 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 Backner (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 Backner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.