Find out how popular the last name Doerfler is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Doerfler.

Doerfler, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Doerfler surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Doerfler in America

Doerfler is the 20676th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Doerfler surname appeared 1,280 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Doerfler.

We can also compare 2010 data for Doerfler to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Doerfler

The surname Doerfler originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, specifically in the areas that are now parts of modern-day Germany and Austria. It is believed to have emerged sometime around the 15th or 16th century.

Doerfler is derived from the German word "Dorf," which means "village" or "hamlet." The suffix "-ler" is commonly added to German surnames to indicate an occupational or geographic origin. Thus, the name Doerfler likely referred to someone who lived in a small village or hamlet, or perhaps someone who worked in or oversaw a village.

While there are no known historical references to the name Doerfler in major manuscripts or records like the Domesday Book, some of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in church records and municipal documents from various German-speaking regions.

One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Johann Doerfler, born in 1612 in the town of Nürnberg, Bavaria. Another notable individual was Georg Doerfler, a blacksmith from Salzburg, Austria, who lived from 1673 to 1742.

In the 19th century, a few individuals with the surname Doerfler achieved some prominence. August Doerfler, born in 1824 in Saxony, was a respected botanist and naturalist who made significant contributions to the study of mosses and lichens. Karl Doerfler, born in 1868 in Vienna, was a prominent Austrian lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Reichsrat (the Imperial Council of the Austro-Hungarian Empire).

Another notable figure was Theodor Doerfler, a German historian and educator who lived from 1825 to 1901. He was the author of several works on German history and culture, including "Handbuch der Allgemeinen Weltgeschichte" (Handbook of General World History).

Over time, the name Doerfler has spread to various parts of the world due to immigration and migration patterns, particularly to other European countries and the Americas. However, its roots can be traced back to the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, where it originated as a surname reflecting a connection to rural village life.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Doerfler

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Doerfler.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Doerfler was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Doerfler has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Doerfler was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Doerfler, please contact us.

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