2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dreitlein
A German surname meaning "little thresher" or "thresher's son".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Dreitlein. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dreitlein 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Dreitlein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreitlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dreitlein
The surname DREITLEIN originates from the German-speaking regions of Central Europe, particularly in the areas that are now modern-day Germany and Austria. It is believed to have emerged during the late medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century.
The name DREITLEIN is thought to be derived from the German words "Dreit" or "Drei", meaning "three", and "Lein", which refers to a linen or flax field. This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with an occupation or location related to the cultivation or processing of flax or linen.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DREITLEIN name can be found in the archives of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans DREITLEIN is mentioned as a resident in the year 1487. Additionally, the name appears in various tax records and property deeds from the 16th and 17th centuries in regions such as Bavaria and Saxony.
During the 16th century, a notable bearer of the DREITLEIN name was Johann DREITLEIN (1510-1578), a respected Lutheran theologian and reformer who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
In the 18th century, the DREITLEIN family produced several skilled craftsmen and tradesmen, including a renowned cabinetmaker named Georg DREITLEIN (1723-1798), who established a successful workshop in the city of Augsburg and created intricate woodworks for wealthy patrons across Europe.
Another prominent figure with the DREITLEIN surname was Friedrich DREITLEIN (1819-1892), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded one of the earliest textile factories in the Rhineland region, contributing significantly to the region's economic development during the Industrial Revolution.
Historically, variations of the DREITLEIN name have included spellings such as Dreitlin, Dreitlain, and Dreitlen, reflecting regional linguistic differences and the evolution of the German language over time.
Throughout its history, the DREITLEIN surname has been associated with various professions, from theologians and academics to craftsmen and industrialists, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dreitlein
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreitlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Dreitlein 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 Dreitlein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.0% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dreitlein
Dreitlein 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+4 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,093 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-12 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,509 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 5,093 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 12,509 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 Dreitlein 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 | #134,712 | #147,221 | -9.3% |
| Count | 125 | 113 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dreitlein bearers went from 125 to 113 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 12,509 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #147,221.
FAQ
Dreitlein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dreitlein?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Dreitlein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Dreitlein?
Dreitlein ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Dreitlein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Dreitlein.
Has Dreitlein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dreitlein went from 125 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Dreitlein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dreitlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Black (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 Dreitlein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dreitlein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.0%), Hispanic (2.7%), Black (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 Dreitlein (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 Dreitlein mean?
A German surname meaning "little thresher" or "thresher's son". 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 Dreitlein (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 surname Dreitlein?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.