2000
#12,909
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,184
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.81
Rare Last name
Bodner
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "boden," meaning "floor" or "ground."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,284 Americans carry the last name Bodner. That puts it at #14,435 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.67 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 150,068 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bodner 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
2.3K
1 in 150,068
Census rank
#14,435
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,992 bearers of the surname Bodner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.67 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14435th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bodner
The surname Bodner originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, likely in the areas that are now modern-day Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The name is believed to have derived from the German word "boden," which means "ground" or "soil," suggesting that the name may have referred to someone who worked or lived on the land.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bodner can be found in the Bairisches Wörterbuch, a Bavarian dictionary published in the late 19th century, which lists the name as a variant of the surname Bodner or Böttner, indicating a connection to the occupation of a cooper or barrel maker.
The name Bodner has been documented in various historical records throughout the centuries. For example, in the 16th century, a man named Hans Bodner was recorded in the town of Nürnberg, Germany. In the 17th century, a record from the town of Grünbach in Austria mentions a family with the surname Bodner.
Several notable individuals have borne the surname Bodner throughout history. One such person was Johann Bodner (1576-1642), a German composer and organist who worked in the court of the Prince-Bishopric of Würzburg. Another was Georg Bodner (1786-1864), an Austrian painter and engraver known for his landscapes and religious works.
In the 19th century, a man named Josef Bodner (1821-1888) was a prominent Austrian architect and builder, responsible for designing several churches and public buildings in Vienna and surrounding areas. Additionally, Franz Bodner (1873-1949) was an Austrian politician and member of the Christian Social Party who served as the mayor of Vienna from 1938 to 1945.
More recently, in the 20th century, Erich Bodner (1919-1997) was an Austrian writer and journalist who worked for various newspapers and radio stations in his home country. He was known for his novels and short stories that often explored themes of rural life and the changing social landscape of post-war Austria.
While the surname Bodner has its roots in German-speaking regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural diffusion. However, the name's history and origins can be traced back to its early meanings and associations with occupations and geographic locations in Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bodner
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bodner 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 Bodner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 1,832
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 66
- Two or more races2.9% · 57
- Black or African American0.8% · 15
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bodner
Bodner 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
#13,397
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,274
+90 bearers (+4.1%)
Per 100,000 0.77
Rank movement Down 488 places
2020
#14,435
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,992
-282 bearers (-12.4%)
Per 100,000 0.67
Rank movement Down 1,038 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,909 | 2,184 | 0.81 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,397 | 2,274 | 0.77 | +90 bearers (+4.1%) | Down 488 places |
| 2020 | #14,435 | 1,992 | 0.67 | -282 bearers (-12.4%) | Down 1,038 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 Bodner 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 | #13,397 | #14,435 | -7.7% |
| Count | 2,274 | 1,992 | -12.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.77 | 0.67 | -13.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bodner bearers went from 2,274 to 1,992 (-12.4% change). The surname moved down 1,038 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,397 to #14,435.
FAQ
Bodner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bodner?
Name Census estimates that about 2,284 living Americans carry the surname Bodner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 150,068 residents.
How common is Bodner?
Bodner ranks #14,435 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.67 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 1,992 people with the surname Bodner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,284), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.67 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.67 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 Bodner.
Has Bodner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bodner went from 2,274 recorded bearers to 1,992. That is a decrease of 282 (-12.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,397 to #14,435.
What does the Census say about the background of Bodner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bodner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Bodner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (1,832 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bodner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (2.9%). 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 Bodner (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 Bodner mean?
A surname of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "boden," meaning "floor" or "ground." 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 Bodner (0.67 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 Bodner?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.