2000
#11,917
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,406
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.89
Rare Last name
Buhl
A German topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hill or mound.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,699 Americans carry the last name Buhl. That puts it at #12,564 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.79 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 126,993 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Buhl 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
2.7K
1 in 126,993
Census rank
#12,564
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,354 bearers of the surname Buhl in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.79 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 12564th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Buhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Buhl
The surname BUHL originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the 13th century. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "buhil," which translates to "hill" or "mound." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to individuals residing near or on a hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name BUHL can be found in a Bavarian legal document from the year 1285, where a certain "Heinricus de Buhil" is mentioned. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the medieval period in the region that is now southern Germany.
In the 15th century, the name BUHL appeared in several historical records from the city of Nuremberg, a prominent center of trade and commerce in the Holy Roman Empire. One notable figure was Hans Buhl, a successful merchant and banker who lived from 1420 to 1487.
The BUHL surname also has connections to the city of Ulm, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. In the 16th century, a family of architects and stonemasons bearing the name BUHL contributed significantly to the construction of several notable buildings, including the famous Ulm Minster.
During the 18th century, a German-born artist named Hans Buhl (1687-1758) gained recognition for his skilled metalwork and intricate engravings. His creations, often adorned with floral motifs and intricate designs, were highly sought after by the European nobility of the time.
Another prominent individual with the BUHL surname was Gustav Buhl von Falkenberg (1831-1908), a Prussian military officer and general who served during the Franco-Prussian War and the Boxer Rebellion in China.
In the 20th century, the name BUHL was associated with several notable figures, including the German painter and printmaker Richard Buhl (1900-1974), renowned for his expressionist works depicting the harsh realities of urban life.
While the BUHL surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, often undergoing slight variations in spelling or pronunciation due to linguistic and cultural influences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Buhl
Among Census respondents with the surname Buhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Buhl 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 Buhl surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.7% · 2,040
- Black or African American4.3% · 101
- Two or more races3.7% · 87
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 80
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.4% · 33
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Buhl
Buhl 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
#12,362
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,515
+109 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.85
Rank movement Down 445 places
2020
#12,564
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,354
-161 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.79
Rank movement Down 202 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,917 | 2,406 | 0.89 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,362 | 2,515 | 0.85 | +109 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 445 places |
| 2020 | #12,564 | 2,354 | 0.79 | -161 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 202 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 Buhl 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 | #12,362 | #12,564 | -1.6% |
| Count | 2,515 | 2,354 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.85 | 0.79 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Buhl bearers went from 2,515 to 2,354 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 202 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,362 to #12,564.
FAQ
Buhl surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Buhl?
Name Census estimates that about 2,699 living Americans carry the surname Buhl. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 126,993 residents.
How common is Buhl?
Buhl ranks #12,564 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.79 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 2,354 people with the surname Buhl. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,699), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.79 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.79 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 Buhl.
Has Buhl become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Buhl went from 2,515 recorded bearers to 2,354. That is a decrease of 161 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,362 to #12,564.
What does the Census say about the background of Buhl?
Among Census respondents with the surname Buhl, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.7%. The next largest groups are Black (4.3%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Buhl in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.7% (2,040 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Buhl appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.7%), Black (4.3%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Buhl (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 Buhl mean?
A German topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a hill or mound. 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 Buhl (0.79 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 Buhl?
Want to know how many people are called Buhl? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.