2000
#130,443
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Duesenberg
A surname of German origin referring to a person from Duesenberg, a town near Soest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Duesenberg. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Duesenberg 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Duesenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Duesenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Duesenberg
The surname Duesenberg originated in Germany, with records dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the German words "Duis" and "Berg," which together translate to "the hill" or "the mountain." This suggests that the earliest bearers of the name may have lived near or on a prominent hill or mountain.
The earliest known record of the Duesenberg name appears in a 1598 church register from the town of Kirchheim unter Teck in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. Here, a man named Hans Duesenberg is listed as a resident. Over the following centuries, variations in spelling such as Duesenberger, Düsenberg, and Dühsenberg can be found in various records across southern Germany.
In the 17th century, a branch of the Duesenberg family relocated to the city of Esslingen am Neckar, also in Baden-Württemberg. Here, they established themselves as respected craftsmen and merchants. One notable member was Johann Friedrich Duesenberg (1648-1711), a master woodcarver whose intricate works adorned several churches in the region.
As the Industrial Revolution took hold in the 19th century, some Duesenbergs sought opportunities abroad. In 1886, brothers Friedrich (1847-1923) and Konrad Duesenberg (1855-1941) immigrated to the United States from their hometown of Kirchheim unter Teck. They settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, where they found work as skilled toolmakers and machinists.
The Duesenberg name gained international recognition in the early 20th century through the iconic luxury automobiles produced by the Duesenberg Motor Company. Founded in 1913 by brothers Fred (1876-1932) and August Duesenberg (1879-1955), the company's vehicles were renowned for their engineering excellence and craftsmanship. The Duesenberg Model J, produced from 1928 to 1937, is considered one of the finest and most elegant automobiles ever built.
Other notable individuals with the Duesenberg surname include German writer and journalist Fritz Duesenberg (1884-1962), known for his satirical works lampooning the Nazi regime, and American businessman and philanthropist Henry Duesenberg (1862-1941), who made his fortune in the grain and lumber industries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Duesenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Duesenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Duesenberg 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 Duesenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Duesenberg
Duesenberg 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-12 bearers (-10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,089 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,058 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #130,443 | 120 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.0%) | Down 21,089 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,058 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 Duesenberg 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 | #151,532 | #153,590 | -1.4% |
| Count | 108 | 104 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Duesenberg bearers went from 108 to 104 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,058 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #153,590.
FAQ
Duesenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Duesenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Duesenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Duesenberg?
Duesenberg ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Duesenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Duesenberg.
Has Duesenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Duesenberg went from 108 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #151,532 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Duesenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Duesenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.8%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Duesenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Duesenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (4.8%), Black (1.9%). 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 Duesenberg (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 Duesenberg mean?
A surname of German origin referring to a person from Duesenberg, a town near Soest. 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 Duesenberg (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Duesenberg?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.