2000
#123,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 129
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Dufer
A surname derived from the French word doux, meaning "sweet" or "gentle".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Dufer. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Dufer 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Dufer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Dufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Dufer
The surname DUFER is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period, potentially deriving from an Old German word or phrase related to a geographical feature or occupation. It may have evolved from a variant spelling or regional pronunciation of a more common Germanic surname.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the DUFER name appears in a 14th-century municipal record from the town of Aachen, where a merchant named Heinrich DUFER is mentioned in connection with a trade dispute. This suggests the name had already established roots in the Rhineland region by that time.
In the late 15th century, a family bearing the DUFER surname is documented as residing in the village of Oberndorf, near Stuttgart in southwestern Germany. The name may have originated as a topographic designation related to the location's proximity to a ford or shallow river crossing.
During the 16th century, a notable figure named Hans DUFER (1512-1589) is recorded as a master woodcarver and sculptor who contributed to the decoration of several churches and aristocratic residences in Bavaria. His intricate woodwork can still be admired in the Frauenkirche in Munich.
In the 17th century, the DUFER name spread more widely across central Europe, with records showing families of that name residing in areas of modern-day Austria, Switzerland, and the Czech Republic. One notable bearer was Johann DUFER (1640-1718), a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg whose innovative timepiece designs were highly sought after by European nobility.
As the centuries progressed, the DUFER surname continued to appear in various parts of German-speaking regions, with some bearers achieving prominence in fields such as academia, music, and military service. Notable figures include the philosopher Georg DUFER (1781-1854), a professor at the University of Heidelberg, and the Romantic composer Friedrich DUFER (1805-1879), whose works were influenced by German folk traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Dufer
Among Census respondents with the surname Dufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Dufer 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 Dufer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.5% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino8.4% · 10
- Two or more races6.7% · 8
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Dufer
Dufer 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-14 bearers (-10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,827 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #123,314 | 129 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -14 bearers (-10.9%) | Down 20,827 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,353 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 Dufer 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 | #144,141 | #142,788 | 0.9% |
| Count | 115 | 119 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Dufer bearers went from 115 to 119 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,353 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #142,788.
FAQ
Dufer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Dufer?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Dufer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Dufer?
Dufer ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Dufer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Dufer.
Has Dufer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Dufer went from 115 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Dufer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Dufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.4%) and Two or More Races (6.7%). 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 Dufer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.5% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Dufer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.5%), Hispanic (8.4%), Two or More Races (6.7%). 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 Dufer (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 Dufer mean?
A surname derived from the French word doux, meaning "sweet" or "gentle". 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 Dufer (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 Dufer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.