2010
#138,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Engebrecht
A Germanic surname referring to someone who dwelled on or near an angular bend.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Engebrecht. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Engebrecht 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Engebrecht in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Engebrecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Engebrecht
The surname Engebrecht has its origins in Germany, with roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic words "Eng," meaning "narrow," and "Brecht," meaning "clearing" or "meadow." Thus, the name likely referred to someone who lived near a narrow clearing or meadow.
One of the earliest known records of the name Engebrecht can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the German state of Saxony, which mentions an individual named Conradus Engebrecht in the year 1292.
In the 14th century, there are mentions of the Engebrecht family in the records of the city of Lübeck, an important trading center in northern Germany. It is possible that the name was also associated with this region during this period.
The Engebrecht surname appears to have undergone various spelling variations throughout history, including Engelbrecht, Engelbrechtsson, and Engelbrekt. One notable individual bearing this name was Engelbrekt Engelbrektsson (1390-1436), a Swedish rebel leader and national hero who led an uprising against the Danish king Erik of Pomerania.
Another prominent figure was Johann Engelbert Engebrecht (1735-1809), a German Protestant theologian and professor of theology at the University of Marburg. He was known for his extensive writings on biblical exegesis and church history.
In the 19th century, the Engebrecht name can be found in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Westphalia and Lower Saxony. One notable individual from this era was Friedrich Engebrecht (1815-1886), a German composer and music teacher who wrote several works for piano and voice.
The name Engebrecht also appears in historical records from the Netherlands, where it may have been spelled as Engebregts or Engbregts. An example is Gerrit Engbregts (1866-1933), a Dutch painter known for his landscape and genre paintings.
While not as widely documented as some other surnames, the Engebrecht name has a long and fascinating history, with roots stretching back to the medieval period in Germany and connections to various notable individuals throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Engebrecht
Among Census respondents with the surname Engebrecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Engebrecht 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 Engebrecht surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Engebrecht
Engebrecht appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-23 bearers (-19.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 17,965 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #138,304 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -23 bearers (-19.0%) | Down 17,965 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 Engebrecht 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 | #138,304 | #156,269 | -13.0% |
| Count | 121 | 98 | -19.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Engebrecht bearers went from 121 to 98 (-19.0% change). The surname moved down 17,965 positions in the national ranking, going from #138,304 to #156,269.
FAQ
Engebrecht surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Engebrecht?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Engebrecht. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Engebrecht?
Engebrecht ranks #156,269 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 98 people with the surname Engebrecht. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), 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 Engebrecht.
Has Engebrecht become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Engebrecht went from 121 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 23 (-19.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #138,304 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Engebrecht?
Among Census respondents with the surname Engebrecht, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Engebrecht in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Engebrecht appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Engebrecht (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 Engebrecht mean?
A Germanic surname referring to someone who dwelled on or near an angular bend. 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 Engebrecht (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 common is the surname Engebrecht?
You can see how common the surname Engebrecht is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.