2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Buffman
Derived from the German word "büffeln" meaning to study diligently or work hard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Buffman. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buffman 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Buffman in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buffman
The surname Buffman is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest known references dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "buffen," meaning to strike or beat, suggesting that the name may have been given to someone who worked as a soldier or a blacksmith.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a 1542 document from the town of Augsburg, which mentions a certain Hans Buffman who was a member of the local guild of metalworkers. It's possible that this individual or his ancestors adopted the surname as a way of identifying their occupation.
In the 17th century, the Buffman name can be found in various records from the German states of Bavaria and Saxony. During this period, the name was sometimes spelled as "Buffmann" or "Buffmann," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
As the Buffman family spread across Germany and neighboring regions, some members began to settle in other parts of Europe. In the late 18th century, a branch of the family relocated to the Netherlands, where the name was adapted to the Dutch spelling "Bufman."
One of the most notable individuals with the surname Buffman was Johann Friedrich Buffman (1692-1764), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Tübingen. His works included treatises on natural law and the existence of God.
Another prominent figure was Carl August Buffman (1784-1868), a German composer and conductor who wrote several operas and choral works that were popular in his time.
In the 19th century, the Buffman name made its way across the Atlantic, with several families immigrating to the United States and Canada. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in North America is that of Wilhelm Buffman (1812-1887), a German immigrant who settled in Pennsylvania and worked as a farmer.
During the same period, a branch of the Buffman family established itself in England, where the name was sometimes anglicized to "Buffman" or "Buffman." One notable English Buffman was Sir Henry Buffman (1828-1912), a businessman and philanthropist who made his fortune in the textile industry.
While not as widely distributed as some other German surnames, the Buffman name has left its mark in various parts of the world, thanks to the migrations and achievements of its bearers over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buffman
Among Census respondents with the surname Buffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Buffman 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 Buffman surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.6% · 90
- Black or African American14.2% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buffman
Buffman 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-16 bearers (-13.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,680 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+6 bearers (+5.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 5,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-13.0%) | Down 24,680 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.6%) | Up 5,407 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 Buffman 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 | #152,628 | #147,221 | 3.5% |
| Count | 107 | 113 | 5.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buffman bearers went from 107 to 113 (+5.6% change). The surname moved up 5,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #147,221.
FAQ
Buffman surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buffman?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Buffman. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Buffman?
Buffman ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Buffman. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Buffman.
Has Buffman become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buffman went from 107 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 6 (+5.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Buffman?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buffman, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Black (14.2%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Buffman in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buffman appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.6%), Black (14.2%), American Indian/Alaska Native (2.7%). 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 Buffman (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 Buffman mean?
Derived from the German word "büffeln" meaning to study diligently or work hard. 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 Buffman (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 have the last name Buffman?
If you just want to know how many people are called Buffman, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.