2000
#3,551
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,185
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.40
Uncommon Last name
Bittner
A German occupational surname referring to a cooper or barrel maker, derived from the Middle High German "bütenære".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 10,107 Americans carry the last name Bittner. That puts it at #3,907 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 2.95 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 33,913 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bittner 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
10K
1 in 33,913
Census rank
#3,907
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
2.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
8.8K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 8,814 bearers of the surname Bittner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 2.95 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 3907th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bittner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bittner
The surname Bittner is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "bitten," meaning "to ask" or "to request." It likely originated as an occupational name for a court messenger or a petitioner.
The earliest recorded instances of the Bittner surname can be found in various German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony. In the town of Nürnberg, the name appears in historical records dating back to the late 15th century, with mentions of individuals like Hans Bittner, a local merchant born in 1472.
In the 16th century, the Bittner name gained prominence in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. One notable figure was Johann Bittner (1524-1591), a renowned theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Silesia.
As the centuries progressed, the Bittner surname continued to spread across German-speaking lands. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Duchy of Pomerania, where the name was recorded in parish registers and census documents. Johann Friedrich Bittner (1723-1799), a prominent merchant from the town of Stralsund, was a influential figure in the local community.
The 19th century saw the Bittner name appearing in various parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia. One notable individual from this period was Anton Bittner (1845-1918), a Czech geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossils and stratigraphy.
Another important figure was Gustav Bittner (1837-1914), an Austrian architect who designed several notable buildings in Vienna, including the Burgtheater and the Votive Church. His works played a crucial role in shaping the architectural landscape of the city.
As migration patterns evolved, the Bittner surname also found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the United States, the earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the mid-19th century, with immigrants from German-speaking regions settling in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bittner
Among Census respondents with the surname Bittner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Bittner 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 Bittner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 8,147
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 288
- Two or more races3.0% · 267
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 63
- Black or African American0.4% · 32
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 17
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bittner
Bittner 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
#3,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 9,163
-22 bearers (-0.2%)
Per 100,000 3.11
Rank movement Down 319 places
2020
#3,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 8,814
-349 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 2.95
Rank movement Down 37 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,551 | 9,185 | 3.40 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,870 | 9,163 | 3.11 | -22 bearers (-0.2%) | Down 319 places |
| 2020 | #3,907 | 8,814 | 2.95 | -349 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 37 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 Bittner 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 | #3,870 | #3,907 | -1.0% |
| Count | 9,163 | 8,814 | -3.8% |
| Per 100K | 3.11 | 2.95 | -5.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bittner bearers went from 9,163 to 8,814 (-3.8% change). The surname moved down 37 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,870 to #3,907.
FAQ
Bittner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bittner?
Name Census estimates that about 10,107 living Americans carry the surname Bittner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 33,913 residents.
How common is Bittner?
Bittner ranks #3,907 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 2.95 per 100,000 residents, which is about 3 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 8,814 people with the surname Bittner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (10,107), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 2.95 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 2.95 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 3 of them to have the surname Bittner.
Has Bittner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bittner went from 9,163 recorded bearers to 8,814. That is a decrease of 349 (-3.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #3,870 to #3,907.
What does the Census say about the background of Bittner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bittner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Bittner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (8,147 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bittner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Bittner (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 Bittner mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a cooper or barrel maker, derived from the Middle High German "bütenære". 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 Bittner (2.95 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 Bittner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.