2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Buher
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "buor" meaning farmer or peasant.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Buher. 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 Buher 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 Buher 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 Buher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buher
The surname BUHER is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Middle High German word "būr," which means "farmer" or "peasant." The name likely arose as a descriptive term for individuals who worked as farmers or came from an agricultural background.
The earliest recorded instances of the surname BUHER can be found in various historical records from the southern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One of the earliest known bearers of this name was Hans Buher, a farmer who lived in the village of Oberammergau in the late 15th century.
The surname BUHER also appeared in the Biberach Archives, a collection of medieval records from the town of Biberach an der Riss in southwestern Germany. These archives contain several references to individuals with the BUHER surname, including Johann Buher, a landowner who lived in the early 16th century.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the BUHER surname was Christoph Buher (1616-1688), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in various Lutheran churches. His works, which focused on religious and philosophical topics, were widely read and influential during his lifetime.
Another individual of historical significance was Konrad Buher (1768-1842), a German painter and engraver known for his landscapes and portraits. His works were exhibited in various galleries across Europe and are now part of several museum collections.
Moving into the 19th century, Johann Buher (1812-1884) was a prominent German architect who designed several notable buildings in cities like Munich and Stuttgart. His legacy includes the Alte Pinakothek museum in Munich, which is renowned for its collection of European art.
Throughout its history, the surname BUHER has also been associated with various place names and locations in Germany. For example, the village of Buher in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate likely derived its name from individuals bearing this surname who settled in the area.
While the surname BUHER is not among the most common in Germany today, it continues to hold a rich historical significance, tracing its roots back to the agricultural communities of southern Germany and contributing to various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buher
Among Census respondents with the surname Buher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Buher 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 Buher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.5% · 115
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buher
Buher 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,027 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 630 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 11,027 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Up 630 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 Buher 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 | #144,141 | #143,511 | 0.4% |
| Count | 115 | 118 | 2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buher bearers went from 115 to 118 (+2.6% change). The surname moved up 630 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #143,511.
FAQ
Buher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buher?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Buher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Buher?
Buher 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 Buher. 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 Buher.
Has Buher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buher went from 115 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 3 (+2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Buher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buher, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Buher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.5% (115 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.5%), Hispanic (1.7%), Two or More Races (0.8%). 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 Buher (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 Buher mean?
A German surname derived from the Middle High German word "buor" meaning farmer or peasant. 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 Buher (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 share the surname Buher?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.