2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Dudenhefer
Surname originated from a local place name in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Dudenhefer. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dudenhefer 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Dudenhefer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudenhefer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dudenhefer
The surname Dudenhefer has its origins in the German language and can be traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Rhineland-Palatinate, located in the western part of Germany. The name is a toponymic one, meaning that it is derived from a place name.
The root of the name Dudenhefer is thought to come from the Old High German word "dudan," which means "to resound" or "to make a loud noise." It is possible that the name was originally given to someone who lived near a noisy or roaring stream or river. The suffix "-hefer" may have been added later to indicate a place or location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dudenhefer can be found in the archives of the city of Mainz, which date back to the 13th century. There, a person named "Henricus de Dudenhever" is mentioned in a document from the year 1289. This suggests that the name was already in use and had taken on a recognizable form by that time.
In the 15th century, a notable figure named Johann Dudenhefer lived in the town of Oppenheim, located along the Rhine River. He was a respected scholar and philosopher who wrote several treatises on theological and metaphysical subjects. Johann Dudenhefer was born in 1420 and died in 1489.
Another individual of note bearing the surname Dudenhefer was Hans Dudenhefer, a successful merchant and trader who lived in the city of Frankfurt in the 16th century. He was born in 1522 and passed away in 1597. Records show that Hans Dudenhefer was involved in the lucrative wine trade along the Rhine River and amassed significant wealth during his lifetime.
In the 17th century, a man named Peter Dudenhefer gained recognition as a skilled clockmaker and watchmaker in the town of Speyer. He was born in 1639 and died in 1712. Some of Peter Dudenhefer's intricate timepieces can still be found in museums and private collections today.
The name Dudenhefer also appears in various historical records from the 18th and 19th centuries, although many of these references are related to more ordinary individuals, such as farmers, artisans, and tradesmen. However, one notable figure from this period was Friedrich Dudenhefer, a professor of philosophy who taught at the University of Heidelberg in the early 19th century. He was born in 1784 and died in 1856.
While the surname Dudenhefer is not extremely common, it has persisted throughout the centuries and can still be found among German families today. Its origins and historical significance are rooted in the medieval period and the Rhineland region of Germany, where it first emerged as a place name before evolving into a family name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dudenhefer
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudenhefer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Dudenhefer 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 Dudenhefer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino4.7% · 5
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dudenhefer
Dudenhefer 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+5 bearers (+4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,408 places
2020
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-10 bearers (-8.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,190 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.5%) | Down 4,408 places |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.6%) | Down 9,190 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 Dudenhefer 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 | #143,149 | #152,339 | -6.4% |
| Count | 116 | 106 | -8.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -11.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dudenhefer bearers went from 116 to 106 (-8.6% change). The surname moved down 9,190 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #152,339.
FAQ
Dudenhefer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dudenhefer?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Dudenhefer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Dudenhefer?
Dudenhefer ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Dudenhefer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Dudenhefer.
Has Dudenhefer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dudenhefer went from 116 recorded bearers to 106. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Dudenhefer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dudenhefer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.7%) and Black (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 Dudenhefer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dudenhefer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Hispanic (4.7%), Black (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 Dudenhefer (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 Dudenhefer mean?
Surname originated from a local place name in Germany. 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 Dudenhefer (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 share the surname Dudenhefer?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.