2010
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Beldner
A German surname derived from a pet form of Gottbold, meaning bold or brave for God.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Beldner. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beldner 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Beldner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beldner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beldner
The surname Beldner is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria during the late medieval period around the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "beldnære," which referred to a loud, boastful person. This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname for someone with such a personality trait.
In its earliest recorded instances, the name appeared in various spellings, including Beldner, Beldnair, and Beltnair. These variations were common in the days before standardized spelling conventions emerged. The surname is not found in major historical records such as the Domesday Book, which focused primarily on England and parts of Wales.
One of the earliest known individuals bearing this surname was Hans Beldner, a German merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the lucrative spice trade between Europe and the East Indies.
Another notable figure was Johann Beldner, a Lutheran theologian born in Saxony in 1516. He was a prominent figure during the Reformation and authored several works on Protestant doctrine and biblical interpretation.
In the 17th century, a family of Beldners emerged as successful landowners and vintners in the Rhineland region of Germany. Heinrich Beldner, born in 1642, was particularly renowned for his skill in cultivating and producing high-quality wines.
During the 19th century, Friedrich Beldner (1816-1892) gained recognition as a talented composer and conductor. He was the director of the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and is credited with premiering several works by notable composers of the time.
Another individual of note was Maria Beldner (1879-1944), a German artist and sculptor who specialized in portraiture and religious artworks. Her works were displayed in various exhibitions and galleries across Europe during her lifetime.
While the Beldner surname is not among the most common in Germany, it has a rich history dating back several centuries. The name's origins as a descriptive nickname and its association with various professions and accomplishments make it a distinctive and interesting part of German onomastic heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beldner
Among Census respondents with the surname Beldner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Beldner 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 Beldner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beldner
Beldner appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+11 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,758 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 11,758 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 Beldner 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 | #159,712 | #147,954 | 7.4% |
| Count | 101 | 112 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 24.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beldner bearers went from 101 to 112 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 11,758 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #147,954.
FAQ
Beldner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beldner?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Beldner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Beldner?
Beldner ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Beldner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Beldner.
Has Beldner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beldner went from 101 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 11 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Beldner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beldner, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Beldner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beldner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (3.6%). 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 Beldner (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 Beldner mean?
A German surname derived from a pet form of Gottbold, meaning bold or brave for God. 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 Beldner (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 Beldner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.