2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Fillbach
An occupational surname originating from German referring to a fuller of cloth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Fillbach. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Fillbach 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Fillbach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Fillbach
The surname Fillbach is of German origin and dates back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Old German words "ville" meaning "much" and "bach" meaning "stream" or "brook". The name likely originated in the region of Bavaria, where there are numerous small streams and brooks flowing through the countryside.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Fillbach can be found in the church records of the town of Augsburg, where a Johann Fillbach was born in 1587. There are also references to a family of Fillbachs living in the village of Oberammergau in the late 1600s, known for their woodcarving and religious plays.
During the 18th century, the name Fillbach appeared in various records throughout southern Germany, often associated with occupations such as millers, farmers, and tradesmen. A notable figure from this time was Matthias Fillbach (1723-1789), a master blacksmith from the town of Landshut, whose intricate ironwork can still be seen in some of the local churches.
As the 19th century dawned, the Fillbach name spread across Germany and into neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. One notable individual was the Swiss artist and engraver, Jakob Fillbach (1825-1892), known for his exquisite landscape etchings and woodcuts.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many Fillbachs immigrated to the United States, Canada, and other parts of the world, seeking new opportunities. Among them was the German-American engineer, Karl Fillbach (1879-1955), who played a significant role in the construction of the Panama Canal.
Throughout its history, the surname Fillbach has been associated with various occupations and professions, from skilled craftsmen and artists to businessmen and engineers. While not a particularly widespread name, it has left its mark in various parts of the world, carrying with it the essence of its origins – a connection to the flowing streams and brooks of southern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Fillbach
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Fillbach 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 Fillbach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Fillbach
Fillbach 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-12 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 20,399 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-8 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,835 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 20,399 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 5,835 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 Fillbach 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 | #148,347 | #154,182 | -3.9% |
| Count | 111 | 103 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Fillbach bearers went from 111 to 103 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 5,835 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #154,182.
FAQ
Fillbach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Fillbach?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Fillbach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Fillbach?
Fillbach ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Fillbach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Fillbach.
Has Fillbach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Fillbach went from 111 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Fillbach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Fillbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (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 Fillbach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Fillbach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Hispanic (1.9%), Two or More Races (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 Fillbach (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 Fillbach mean?
An occupational surname originating from German referring to a fuller of cloth. 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 Fillbach (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 Fillbach?
See how many Americans have the surname Fillbach on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.