2000
#8,444
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,594
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.33
Rare Last name
Buettner
A German occupational surname referring to a cooper or barrel maker, derived from the Middle High German "büte".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,838 Americans carry the last name Buettner. That puts it at #9,334 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.12 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 89,305 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buettner 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
3.8K
1 in 89,305
Census rank
#9,334
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,347 bearers of the surname Buettner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.12 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 9334th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buettner
The surname Buettner originated in the German-speaking regions of central Europe during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "bütte," which means a large vat or tub used for various purposes such as brewing or dyeing. The name likely referred to an occupation or trade involving these vats, such as a cooper or a dyer.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Buettner date back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Heinrich Buettner, a merchant from the city of Nuremberg, who is mentioned in records from the year 1272.
In the 14th century, the Buettner family gained prominence in the region of Saxony, where they held several estates and properties. Johannes Buettner, born in 1325, was a respected landowner and served as a councilor to the Duke of Saxony.
During the Renaissance period, the Buettner name appeared in various historical documents and records across central Europe. In 1487, a manuscript from the city of Augsburg mentions a certain Christoph Buettner, who was a master craftsman and a member of the local guild.
The 16th century saw the rise of several notable figures bearing the Buettner name. Johann Buettner (1492-1572) was a renowned theologian and reformer who worked closely with Martin Luther during the Protestant Reformation. Another notable Buettner from this era was Hans Buettner (1515-1591), a skilled architect who designed several churches and public buildings in the city of Erfurt.
In the 17th century, the name Buettner was associated with several military leaders and officials. Georg Buettner (1621-1689) was a prominent general in the Thirty Years' War, serving under the Holy Roman Empire. His contemporary, Friedrich Buettner (1628-1701), held the position of a regional governor in the city of Dresden.
As the centuries progressed, the Buettner name continued to be found across various regions of Germany and neighboring countries. Some notable bearers of the name include the philosopher and writer Johann Christian Buettner (1716-1801), the explorer and naturalist David Buettner (1768-1842), and the acclaimed composer and musician Carl Buettner (1836-1916).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buettner
Among Census respondents with the surname Buettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Buettner 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 Buettner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.0% · 3,114
- Two or more races3.6% · 119
- Hispanic or Latino2.0% · 66
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 30
- Black or African American0.3% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buettner
Buettner 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
#9,074
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,602
+8 bearers (+0.2%)
Per 100,000 1.22
Rank movement Down 630 places
2020
#9,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,347
-255 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 1.12
Rank movement Down 260 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,444 | 3,594 | 1.33 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #9,074 | 3,602 | 1.22 | +8 bearers (+0.2%) | Down 630 places |
| 2020 | #9,334 | 3,347 | 1.12 | -255 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 260 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 Buettner 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 | #9,074 | #9,334 | -2.9% |
| Count | 3,602 | 3,347 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.22 | 1.12 | -8.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buettner bearers went from 3,602 to 3,347 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 260 positions in the national ranking, going from #9,074 to #9,334.
FAQ
Buettner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buettner?
Name Census estimates that about 3,838 living Americans carry the surname Buettner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 89,305 residents.
How common is Buettner?
Buettner ranks #9,334 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.12 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 3,347 people with the surname Buettner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,838), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.12 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.12 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 Buettner.
Has Buettner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buettner went from 3,602 recorded bearers to 3,347. That is a decrease of 255 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #9,074 to #9,334.
What does the Census say about the background of Buettner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buettner, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Buettner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.0% (3,114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buettner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.0%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.0%). 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 Buettner (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 Buettner mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a cooper or barrel maker, derived from the Middle High German "büte". 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 Buettner (1.12 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 common is the surname Buettner?
Want to know how many people have the last name Buettner? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.