2010
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bessenbacher
An occupational surname referring to a beer brewer or beer maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Bessenbacher. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bessenbacher 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Bessenbacher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bessenbacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%) and Two or More Races (8.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bessenbacher
The surname Bessenbacher is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It originated in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia, where the name was initially derived from the town or village of Bessenbach. This place name is believed to have been formed from the Old German words "bessa," meaning "better," and "bach," which translates to "brook" or "stream."
The earliest known record of the Bessenbacher surname dates back to the 13th century, when it appeared in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony. One notable mention is Hans Bessenbacher, a prominent landowner and merchant recorded in the town records of Augsburg in the year 1482.
In the 16th century, the Bessenbacher name gained recognition through the work of Johann Bessenbacher, a renowned theologian and scholar born in Nuremberg in 1522. He authored several influential works on religious doctrine and served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg.
The Bessenbacher family also played a significant role in the arts and culture of Germany during the 17th century. Friedrich Bessenbacher (1601-1673), a celebrated painter and engraver from Munich, was known for his intricate woodcuts and etchings depicting religious scenes and landscapes.
In the 18th century, the Bessenbacher name appeared in various military records, including the chronicles of the Prussian Army. One notable figure was Karl Bessenbacher (1724-1801), a highly decorated officer who served in the Seven Years' War and later became a respected military strategist.
Another prominent individual bearing the Bessenbacher surname was Maria Bessenbacher (1831-1902), a renowned opera singer from Berlin. She performed at prestigious venues across Europe and was celebrated for her powerful soprano voice and remarkable stage presence.
As the Bessenbacher family spread throughout Germany and neighboring regions, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, such as Bessenbach, Bessenbecher, and Bessenbecher. However, the core meaning and origin of the name remained rooted in the German tradition.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bessenbacher
Among Census respondents with the surname Bessenbacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%) and Two or More Races (8.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bessenbacher 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 Bessenbacher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.6% · 83
- Asian and Pacific Islander10.3% · 12
- Two or more races8.6% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bessenbacher
Bessenbacher 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
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 192 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 192 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 Bessenbacher 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 | #145,220 | #145,028 | 0.1% |
| Count | 114 | 116 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bessenbacher bearers went from 114 to 116 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 192 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #145,028.
FAQ
Bessenbacher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bessenbacher?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Bessenbacher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Bessenbacher?
Bessenbacher ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Bessenbacher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Bessenbacher.
Has Bessenbacher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bessenbacher went from 114 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Bessenbacher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bessenbacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.6%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%) and Two or More Races (8.6%). 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 Bessenbacher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.6% (83 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bessenbacher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (10.3%), Two or More Races (8.6%). 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 Bessenbacher (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 Bessenbacher mean?
An occupational surname referring to a beer brewer or beer maker. 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 Bessenbacher (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 common is the surname Bessenbacher?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Bessenbacher, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.