2000
#34,071
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 630
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.23
Very Rare Last name
Bittenbender
One who bends iron or metal at a forge.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 689 Americans carry the last name Bittenbender. That puts it at #39,490 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 497,466 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bittenbender 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
689
1 in 497,466
Census rank
#39,490
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
601
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 601 bearers of the surname Bittenbender in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 39490th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bittenbender, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bittenbender
The surname Bittenbender has its origins in Germany, likely emerging in the late medieval period or early modern era. It is believed to be derived from the Low German or Dutch words "bitt" meaning "small" and "bender" referring to a maker or bender of objects, possibly a trade or occupation. The name may have initially referred to someone who crafted small items or worked as a small-scale artisan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name dates back to the 15th century, found in a local registry in the town of Münster, Westphalia. The entry, dated 1472, mentions a certain Hans Bittenbender who was listed as a member of the local guild of metalworkers.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records across the German states, with variations in spelling such as Bittenbender, Bittenbinder, and Bittenbiender. These variations suggest regional differences in pronunciation and orthography.
A notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Bittenbender (1616-1691), a Protestant theologian and rector of the University of Giessen. His writings on Lutheran doctrine and polemics against Calvinism were influential in his time.
Another early record comes from the town of Soest, where a family by the name of Bittenbender is mentioned in the town's chronicle from the 17th century. The chronicle notes that they were a respected family of merchants and landowners in the region.
In the 18th century, the name Bittenbender can be found in historical documents from the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg, where a certain Georg Bittenbender (1734-1802) was a prominent lawyer and judicial official.
During the 19th century, the surname spread further across Germany and into neighboring countries as people migrated for economic and political reasons. Notable individuals from this period include Friedrich Bittenbender (1821-1897), a German-American businessman and entrepreneur who established a successful brewing company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after immigrating to the United States.
Overall, the surname Bittenbender has a rich history rooted in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely originating as an occupational name for skilled craftsmen or artisans. While not a particularly common surname, it has left its mark in various historical records and notable individuals across several centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bittenbender
Among Census respondents with the surname Bittenbender, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Bittenbender 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 Bittenbender surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.2% · 572
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 11
- Two or more races1.8% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bittenbender
Bittenbender 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
#36,736
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 608
-22 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.21
Rank movement Down 2,665 places
2020
#39,490
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 601
-7 bearers (-1.2%)
Per 100,000 0.20
Rank movement Down 2,754 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #34,071 | 630 | 0.23 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #36,736 | 608 | 0.21 | -22 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 2,665 places |
| 2020 | #39,490 | 601 | 0.20 | -7 bearers (-1.2%) | Down 2,754 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 Bittenbender 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 | #36,736 | #39,490 | -7.5% |
| Count | 608 | 601 | -1.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.21 | 0.20 | -4.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bittenbender bearers went from 608 to 601 (-1.2% change). The surname moved down 2,754 positions in the national ranking, going from #36,736 to #39,490.
FAQ
Bittenbender surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bittenbender?
Name Census estimates that about 689 living Americans carry the surname Bittenbender. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 497,466 residents.
How common is Bittenbender?
Bittenbender ranks #39,490 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.20 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 601 people with the surname Bittenbender. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (689), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.20 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 Bittenbender.
Has Bittenbender become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bittenbender went from 608 recorded bearers to 601. That is a decrease of 7 (-1.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #36,736 to #39,490.
What does the Census say about the background of Bittenbender?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bittenbender, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bittenbender in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.2% (572 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bittenbender appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.2%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Bittenbender (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 Bittenbender mean?
One who bends iron or metal at a forge. 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 Bittenbender (0.20 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 Bittenbender?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.