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

Drotleff, 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 Drotleff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Drotleff in America

Drotleff is the 91221st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Drotleff surname appeared 202 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 Drotleff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Drotleff 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 Drotleff

The surname DROTLEFF originated in Germany during the late medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German words "drot" meaning "lord" or "master" and "leff" meaning "beloved" or "dear." This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a beloved or esteemed lord or master.

The earliest recorded instances of the DROTLEFF surname can be traced back to the 14th century in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia in central Germany. Some historical records from this time period mention individuals with similar spellings such as Drotlef, Drotleve, and Drotleff.

One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname DROTLEFF was Hans Drotleff, a landowner and merchant who lived in the town of Erfurt, Thuringia, in the early 15th century (1410-1478). Another notable figure was Konrad Drotleff, a scholar and theologian who taught at the University of Leipzig in the late 15th century (1452-1521).

In the 16th century, the DROTLEFF surname spread to other parts of Germany, including Prussia and Silesia. During this time, variations in spelling emerged, such as Drottleff and Drotlev. One prominent individual from this era was Johann Drotleff, a Lutheran pastor and reformer who served in the city of Breslau, Silesia (now Wrocław, Poland), in the mid-16th century (1520-1585).

As the DROTLEFF family members migrated and settled in different regions, the name sometimes adapted to local dialects and pronunciations. For instance, in the 17th century, there were records of the Drodleff spelling in the Palatinate region of southwestern Germany. One notable figure from this area was Philipp Drodleff, a respected jurist and legal scholar who lived in Heidelberg (1625-1691).

Another significant individual bearing the DROTLEFF surname was Karl Drotleff, a German military officer and strategist who served in the Prussian army during the Napoleonic Wars in the early 19th century (1780-1849). His contributions to military tactics and strategy were widely recognized and influential.

While the DROTLEFF surname has maintained a presence in Germany over the centuries, it has also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through immigration and migration patterns. However, it remains a relatively uncommon surname, particularly outside of its Germanic origins.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Drotleff

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

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 Drotleff 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 Drotleff 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 Drotleff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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