2000
#68,782
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 267
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Beisler
An occupational surname referring to a maker of barrels, casks, or tubs.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 347 Americans carry the last name Beisler. That puts it at #69,752 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 987,765 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beisler 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
347
1 in 987,765
Census rank
#69,752
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
303
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 303 bearers of the surname Beisler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69752nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beisler
The surname Beisler is of German origin, originating in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia in the southern part of the country. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "beiz," meaning "to hunt with hawks or falcons." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who practiced falconry or worked as a hunter.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Beisler can be found in the "Kirchenbücher" (church records) of the town of Augsburg in Bavaria, dating back to the 16th century. These records mention individuals with variations of the spelling, such as "Beissler," "Beisler," and "Beysler."
In the 17th century, the Beisler name appears in various historical documents from the region, including tax records, land deeds, and court proceedings. This indicates that the family had established itself in the area and had gained a certain level of prominence.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, as migration increased, the Beisler surname began to spread to other parts of Germany and beyond. Notable individuals with this surname include Johann Beisler (1730-1796), a German composer and organist who lived and worked in Nuremberg.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Beisler (1805-1863), a German politician and jurist who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the revolutions of 1848-1849. He was a prominent advocate for democratic reforms and civil liberties.
In the early 20th century, a branch of the Beisler family immigrated to the United States, where the name became more widely known. One of the first recorded individuals with the surname in America was Wilhelm Beisler (1872-1942), a German-born businessman who settled in New York City and established a successful import-export company.
Another notable American with the Beisler surname was Hans Beisler (1902-1987), a German-American artist and illustrator who was known for his paintings depicting rural life in the American heartland. His works are featured in several museums and art galleries across the country.
Throughout its history, the Beisler surname has maintained a strong presence in both Germany and the United States, with many individuals contributing to various fields, including music, politics, business, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beisler
Among Census respondents with the surname Beisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Beisler 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 Beisler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 285
- Two or more races3.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.3% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.3% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beisler
Beisler 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
#78,567
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 243
-24 bearers (-9.0%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 9,785 places
2020
#69,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 303
+60 bearers (+24.7%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 8,815 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #68,782 | 267 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #78,567 | 243 | 0.08 | -24 bearers (-9.0%) | Down 9,785 places |
| 2020 | #69,752 | 303 | 0.10 | +60 bearers (+24.7%) | Up 8,815 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 Beisler 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 | #78,567 | #69,752 | 11.2% |
| Count | 243 | 303 | 24.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.10 | 26.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beisler bearers went from 243 to 303 (+24.7% change). The surname moved up 8,815 positions in the national ranking, going from #78,567 to #69,752.
FAQ
Beisler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beisler?
Name Census estimates that about 347 living Americans carry the surname Beisler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 987,765 residents.
How common is Beisler?
Beisler ranks #69,752 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 303 people with the surname Beisler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Beisler.
Has Beisler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beisler went from 243 recorded bearers to 303. That is an increase of 60 (+24.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #78,567 to #69,752.
What does the Census say about the background of Beisler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.3%). 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 Beisler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (285 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beisler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Two or More Races (3.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.3%). 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 Beisler (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 Beisler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker of barrels, casks, or tubs. 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 Beisler (0.10 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 Beisler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.