2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Distelhorst
A German surname derived from the words "distel" (thistle) and "horst" (grove or thicket), suggesting an association with a thistle-covered area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Distelhorst. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Distelhorst 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Distelhorst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Distelhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Distelhorst
The surname Distelhorst has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is a combination of two Old German words: "Distel," meaning "thistle," and "Horst," referring to a thicket or a wooded area. This suggests that the name might have originated from a place or region known for its abundance of thistles or its proximity to a dense thicket.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Distelhorst can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the principality of Anhalt in central Germany. In this manuscript, dated around 1250, there is a mention of a knight named Henricus Distelhorst, who was a vassal of the Count of Anhalt.
Another notable mention of the name Distelhorst is in the Stammtafeln der Westfälischen Geschlechter, a compendium of genealogical records from the Westphalia region of Germany. This source, compiled in the 16th century, includes a reference to a family called "von Distelhorst," indicating their noble status and possible ownership of lands or estates in the area.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the surname Distelhorst was Johann Distelhorst, born in 1512 in the town of Münster, Westphalia. He was a prominent merchant and landowner, and his descendants continued to play a significant role in the local community for several generations.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the name Distelhorst was Hans Distelhorst (1620-1695), a scholar and theologian who served as a professor of philosophy and theology at the University of Helmstedt in Lower Saxony. His writings on religious and philosophical subjects were widely influential during his time.
Another individual worth mentioning is Friedrich Distelhorst (1789-1858), a German lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Prussian National Assembly in the mid-19th century. He was an advocate for constitutional reforms and played a role in the revolutionary movements of 1848.
Throughout its history, the surname Distelhorst has been associated with various places and regions in Germany, such as Westphalia, Anhalt, and Lower Saxony. While variations in spelling may have existed in earlier times, the name has maintained its distinctive form and meaning over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Distelhorst
Among Census respondents with the surname Distelhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Distelhorst 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 Distelhorst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.6% · 113
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Distelhorst
Distelhorst 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-9 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,909 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-9 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 14,909 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 10,407 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 Distelhorst 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 | #133,863 | #144,270 | -7.8% |
| Count | 126 | 117 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Distelhorst bearers went from 126 to 117 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 10,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #144,270.
FAQ
Distelhorst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Distelhorst?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Distelhorst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Distelhorst?
Distelhorst ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Distelhorst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Distelhorst.
Has Distelhorst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Distelhorst went from 126 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Distelhorst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Distelhorst, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.7%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Distelhorst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.6% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Distelhorst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.6%), Hispanic (1.7%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Distelhorst (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 Distelhorst mean?
A German surname derived from the words "distel" (thistle) and "horst" (grove or thicket), suggesting an association with a thistle-covered area. 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 Distelhorst (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 Distelhorst?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Distelhorst on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.