2000
#122,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Buesser
A German occupational surname meaning "blower" or referring to a bellows operator.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Buesser. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buesser 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Buesser in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buesser
The surname BUESSER is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "buoze," which referred to a small boat or vessel, implying that the earliest bearers of this name may have been involved in water-related occupations such as fishing or ferrying.
One of the earliest known records of the name BUESSER can be found in the Stadtbücher (town books) of Ulm, a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, dating back to the late 14th century. These records mention a certain "Hanns Buesser," suggesting that the name had already established itself in the region by that time.
In the 15th century, the name BUESSER surfaced in various historical documents across southern Germany, including the Württembergische Regesten, a collection of records from the former Duchy of Württemberg. These records mention individuals with the name Buesser, often in association with different occupations and locations.
One notable bearer of the BUESSER name was Johann Buesser (1521-1594), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the spread of the Reformation in the city of Ulm. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and was instrumental in establishing the Protestant church in Ulm.
Another individual of historical significance was Georg Buesser (1562-1638), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (chapel master) at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden. His compositions, primarily sacred works, were highly regarded during his lifetime and contributed to the development of German church music.
In the 17th century, the BUESSER name gained prominence in the Swiss region, particularly in the canton of Bern. One notable figure from this era was Samuel Buesser (1625-1702), a Swiss theologian and author who served as a professor of theology at the University of Bern.
The 18th century saw the migration of many BUESSER families from Germany and Switzerland to other parts of Europe and beyond. One such individual was Johann Michael Buesser (1738-1819), a German-born artist and engraver who spent much of his career in London, where he became renowned for his intricate copperplate engravings.
As the BUESSER name spread across various regions, its spelling underwent several variations, including Büsser, Büsser, and Busser. However, the core pronunciation and meaning remained largely unchanged, reflecting the name's enduring German heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buesser
Among Census respondents with the surname Buesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Buesser 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 Buesser surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.7% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buesser
Buesser 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
#131,379
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
-1 bearers (-0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,845 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-11 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,132 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #122,534 | 130 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #131,379 | 129 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.8%) | Down 8,845 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 12,132 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 Buesser 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 | #131,379 | #143,511 | -9.2% |
| Count | 129 | 118 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buesser bearers went from 129 to 118 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 12,132 positions in the national ranking, going from #131,379 to #143,511.
FAQ
Buesser surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buesser?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Buesser. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Buesser?
Buesser ranks #143,511 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 118 people with the surname Buesser. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Buesser.
Has Buesser become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buesser went from 129 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 11 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #131,379 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Buesser?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buesser, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Buesser in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.7% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buesser appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.7%), Hispanic (3.4%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Buesser (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 Buesser mean?
A German occupational surname meaning "blower" or referring to a bellows operator. 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 Buesser (0.04 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 are called Buesser?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Buesser on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.