2000
#3,216
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 10,182
First available Census row
Per 100,000 3.77
Uncommon Last name
Burkholder
An occupational surname referring to a person who lived or worked in a fortress or castle.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 14,146 Americans carry the last name Burkholder. That puts it at #2,847 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 4.13 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 24,230 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Burkholder 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
14K
1 in 24,230
Census rank
#2,847
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 12,336 bearers of the surname Burkholder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 4.13 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2847th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkholder, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Burkholder
The surname Burkholder has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged during the medieval period. The name is derived from the German words "Burg," meaning "castle" or "fortified town," and "Halter," which translates to "keeper" or "holder." This suggests that the earliest Burkholders were likely employed as guardians or caretakers of castles or fortified settlements.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the region of Brandenburg, Germany. In this text, a certain "Burkhard de Holdere" is mentioned in a document dated 1375, indicating the presence of the name in that area during the 14th century.
The Burkholder name also has connections to the Palatinate region of Germany, where many of its bearers resided during the 17th and 18th centuries. Records from this time period include entries for individuals such as Hans Burkholder (1623-1691), a farmer from the village of Sausenheim, and Johann Burkholder (1687-1756), a vintner from the town of Deidesheim.
As the Burkholder family expanded and migrated, the name took on various spellings, including Burkhalter, Burghalter, and Burkholder. One notable figure bearing this surname was Johann Burkhalter (1505-1573), a Swiss Reformed theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Switzerland.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Burkholder family immigrated to the American colonies, where they settled in Pennsylvania and became part of the Amish and Mennonite communities. Among the early Burkholders in America was Christian Burkholder (1670-1747), who arrived in Pennsylvania in the early 1700s and became a prominent member of the Amish community.
Another notable Burkholder was John Burkholder (1838-1914), an American Civil War veteran and influential leader in the Mennonite Church. He served as a bishop and played a crucial role in the growth and development of the Mennonite faith in the United States.
Over the centuries, the Burkholder name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, artisans, religious leaders, and military personnel. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread across the globe, leaving a lasting legacy in the diverse cultures and communities it has touched.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Burkholder
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkholder, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Burkholder 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 Burkholder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 11,777
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 227
- Two or more races1.8% · 216
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 51
- Black or African American0.3% · 34
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 31
Timeline
Historical Census data for Burkholder
Burkholder 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
#3,128
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,532
+1,350 bearers (+13.3%)
Per 100,000 3.91
Rank movement Up 88 places
2020
#2,847
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,336
+804 bearers (+7.0%)
Per 100,000 4.13
Rank movement Up 281 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #3,216 | 10,182 | 3.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #3,128 | 11,532 | 3.91 | +1,350 bearers (+13.3%) | Up 88 places |
| 2020 | #2,847 | 12,336 | 4.13 | +804 bearers (+7.0%) | Up 281 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 Burkholder 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 | #3,128 | #2,847 | 9.0% |
| Count | 11,532 | 12,336 | 7.0% |
| Per 100K | 3.91 | 4.13 | 5.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Burkholder bearers went from 11,532 to 12,336 (+7.0% change). The surname moved up 281 positions in the national ranking, going from #3,128 to #2,847.
FAQ
Burkholder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Burkholder?
Name Census estimates that about 14,146 living Americans carry the surname Burkholder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 24,230 residents.
How common is Burkholder?
Burkholder ranks #2,847 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 4.13 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 12,336 people with the surname Burkholder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (14,146), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 4.13 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 4.13 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Burkholder.
Has Burkholder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Burkholder went from 11,532 recorded bearers to 12,336. That is an increase of 804 (+7.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #3,128 to #2,847.
What does the Census say about the background of Burkholder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Burkholder, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.8%) and Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Burkholder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (11,777 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Burkholder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (1.8%), Two or More Races (1.8%). 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 Burkholder (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 Burkholder mean?
An occupational surname referring to a person who lived or worked in a fortress or castle. 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 Burkholder (4.13 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 Burkholder?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.