2000
#14,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,877
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Bettinger
An occupational surname originating from the German "bett" meaning "bed" and likely referring to a mattress maker or upholsterer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,213 Americans carry the last name Bettinger. That puts it at #14,767 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 154,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bettinger 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
2.2K
1 in 154,882
Census rank
#14,767
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,930 bearers of the surname Bettinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14767th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bettinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bettinger
The surname Bettinger is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around the Rhine River and its tributaries.
One of the earliest known mentions of the name Bettinger can be found in the records of the town of Mainz, dating back to the 14th century. This suggests that the name may have originated in or near this region, which was a prominent center of trade and culture during the medieval period.
The name Bettinger is thought to be derived from the German word "Bettinger," which means "a person from Bettingen" or "a resident of Bettingen." Bettingen is a place name that refers to several small towns and villages across Germany, indicating that the surname may have originated from one of these locations.
In the 16th century, records show a Bettinger family residing in the town of Worms, located in the Rhineland-Palatinate region of Germany. One notable member of this family was Johann Bettinger (1534-1609), a respected scholar and theologian who served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg.
Another historical figure bearing the Bettinger name was Friedrich Wilhelm Bettinger (1697-1772), a German composer and organist from the city of Nuremberg. He is known for his contributions to the development of the Baroque music tradition in Germany.
During the 18th century, the Bettinger surname began to spread beyond the borders of Germany as various family members migrated to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One such individual was Johann Christoph Bettinger (1720-1795), who settled in Pennsylvania in the mid-1700s and became a prominent farmer and landowner in the region.
In the 19th century, a notable Bettinger was Carl Bettinger (1835-1899), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the brewing industry. He was a prominent figure in the German-American community of Philadelphia and was known for his charitable contributions to various educational and cultural institutions.
Throughout history, the Bettinger surname has been associated with a range of professions, from academics and clergy to artisans and entrepreneurs. While the name may have originated from a specific geographic location, its bearers have left their mark across different regions and cultures, contributing to the rich tapestry of human history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bettinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Bettinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Bettinger 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 Bettinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.9% · 1,793
- Two or more races3.2% · 61
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 51
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.2% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bettinger
Bettinger 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
#18,766
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,461
-416 bearers (-22.2%)
Per 100,000 0.50
Rank movement Down 4,207 places
2020
#14,767
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,930
+469 bearers (+32.1%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Up 3,999 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,559 | 1,877 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #18,766 | 1,461 | 0.50 | -416 bearers (-22.2%) | Down 4,207 places |
| 2020 | #14,767 | 1,930 | 0.65 | +469 bearers (+32.1%) | Up 3,999 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 Bettinger 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 | #18,766 | #14,767 | 21.3% |
| Count | 1,461 | 1,930 | 32.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.50 | 0.65 | 29.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bettinger bearers went from 1,461 to 1,930 (+32.1% change). The surname moved up 3,999 positions in the national ranking, going from #18,766 to #14,767.
FAQ
Bettinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bettinger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,213 living Americans carry the surname Bettinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 154,882 residents.
How common is Bettinger?
Bettinger ranks #14,767 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,930 people with the surname Bettinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,213), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Bettinger.
Has Bettinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bettinger went from 1,461 recorded bearers to 1,930. That is an increase of 469 (+32.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #18,766 to #14,767.
What does the Census say about the background of Bettinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bettinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Bettinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.9% (1,793 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bettinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.9%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (2.6%). 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 Bettinger (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 Bettinger mean?
An occupational surname originating from the German "bett" meaning "bed" and likely referring to a mattress maker or upholsterer. 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 Bettinger (0.65 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 Americans have the surname Bettinger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.