2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Buenzow
A German surname derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 111 Americans carry the last name Buenzow. That puts it at #156,449 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,087,877 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buenzow 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
111
1 in 3,087,877
Census rank
#156,449
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
97
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 97 bearers of the surname Buenzow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156449th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buenzow, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buenzow
The surname Buenzow has its origins in Germany, dating back to the early modern period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Pomerania, which was historically part of Prussia. The name may have derived from a Germanic place name or a topographical feature, with the suffix "-ow" indicating a location or settlement.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Buenzow can be found in the Prussian land records of the 16th century, where it appears as a reference to a family or estate in the vicinity of the town of Stargard. It is possible that the name was originally associated with a particular area or village in this region.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Buenzow name appears in various church records and local chronicles from the Pomeranian region. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Buenzow (1642-1718), a Lutheran minister who served in the town of Stolp, and Christoph Buenzow (1674-1743), a merchant and landowner from the village of Bützow.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent slight variations in spelling, with forms such as Buenzau, Buenzo, and Bünzow appearing in different areas. One notable bearer of the name was Friedrich Wilhelm Buenzow (1790-1856), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later served as a high-ranking officer in the Prussian Army.
The 19th century saw the Buenzow name gain prominence in academic and literary circles. Hermann Buenzow (1828-1901) was a German philologist and author who specialized in the study of Slavic languages and literature. His work contributed significantly to the understanding of Slavic culture and language in Germany.
Another notable figure was Pauline Buenzow (1844-1923), a German writer and women's rights activist. She published several novels and works of non-fiction, advocating for women's education and social reform in the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, the Buenzow name continued to be represented in various fields. Ernst Buenzow (1901-1975) was a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts following World War II. His designs and projects helped shape the modern cityscape of several German cities.
While the surname Buenzow is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history rooted in the regions of northern Germany and Pomerania. The name has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds, including clergymen, merchants, military personnel, academics, and writers, contributing to the cultural and intellectual heritage of Germany and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buenzow
Among Census respondents with the surname Buenzow, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Buenzow 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 Buenzow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.9% · 94
- Two or more races2.1% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buenzow
Buenzow 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,300 places
2020
#156,449
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 97
-13 bearers (-11.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 7,054 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 2,300 places |
| 2020 | #156,449 | 97 | 0.03 | -13 bearers (-11.8%) | Down 7,054 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 Buenzow 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 | #149,395 | #156,449 | -4.7% |
| Count | 110 | 97 | -11.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buenzow bearers went from 110 to 97 (-11.8% change). The surname moved down 7,054 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #156,449.
FAQ
Buenzow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buenzow?
Name Census estimates that about 111 living Americans carry the surname Buenzow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,087,877 residents.
How common is Buenzow?
Buenzow ranks #156,449 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 97 people with the surname Buenzow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (111), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Buenzow.
Has Buenzow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buenzow went from 110 recorded bearers to 97. That is a decrease of 13 (-11.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #156,449.
What does the Census say about the background of Buenzow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buenzow, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Buenzow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.9% (94 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buenzow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.9%), Two or More Races (2.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.0%). 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 Buenzow (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 Buenzow mean?
A German surname derived from a place name. 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 Buenzow (0.03 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 Buenzow?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.