2000
#14,521
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,882
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.70
Rare Last name
Funderburg
Derived from a German place name meaning "the fortress of Funther," likely referring to a historic landowner or settler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,103 Americans carry the last name Funderburg. That puts it at #15,395 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,984 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Funderburg 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
2.1K
1 in 162,984
Census rank
#15,395
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,834 bearers of the surname Funderburg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15395th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Funderburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Funderburg
The surname Funderburg is of German origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the German region of Bavaria, specifically in the town of Funderburg. The name is derived from the Old German words "funder" and "burg," which translates to "fire tower." This suggests that the earliest bearers of this name may have lived near or worked in a fire tower, which was a common structure in medieval times used for signaling and defense.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Funderburg name appears in a 1412 land deed from the town of Funderburg, which mentions a certain Johann Funderburg as a landowner. This document provides evidence that the name was already well-established in the region by the early 15th century.
In the 16th century, the Funderburg family appears to have spread beyond Bavaria, with records showing individuals bearing the name in other parts of Germany, such as Saxony and Thuringia. One notable figure from this period was Hans Funderburg (1522-1589), a skilled blacksmith and metalworker who was renowned for his intricate ironwork designs.
As the Funderburg name continued to spread throughout Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, including Funderberg, Funderbergh, and Fundenberg. These variations likely arose due to regional dialects and the inconsistencies in record-keeping at the time.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Funderburg family settled in the Alsace region of France, where they became prominent winemakers. One of the most successful members of this branch was Johann Friedrich Funderburg (1745-1821), whose Funderburg Riesling was highly regarded throughout Europe.
Another notable figure was Karl Funderburg (1874-1942), a German architect who was known for his innovative designs and his contributions to the Bauhaus movement. His most famous work is the Funderburg House in Berlin, which is considered a masterpiece of early modernist architecture.
As the Funderburg name spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world, it continued to be associated with various occupations and professions, including artisans, merchants, and academics. While not as widespread as some other German surnames, the Funderburg name has left its mark on history, reflecting the diverse and rich heritage of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Funderburg
Among Census respondents with the surname Funderburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Funderburg 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 Funderburg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White73.5% · 1,348
- Black or African American18.6% · 342
- Two or more races4.3% · 79
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 49
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 10
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.3% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Funderburg
Funderburg 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
#15,066
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,958
+76 bearers (+4.0%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 545 places
2020
#15,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,834
-124 bearers (-6.3%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Down 329 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,521 | 1,882 | 0.70 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,066 | 1,958 | 0.66 | +76 bearers (+4.0%) | Down 545 places |
| 2020 | #15,395 | 1,834 | 0.61 | -124 bearers (-6.3%) | Down 329 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 Funderburg 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 | #15,066 | #15,395 | -2.2% |
| Count | 1,958 | 1,834 | -6.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.61 | -7.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Funderburg bearers went from 1,958 to 1,834 (-6.3% change). The surname moved down 329 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,066 to #15,395.
FAQ
Funderburg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Funderburg?
Name Census estimates that about 2,103 living Americans carry the surname Funderburg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,984 residents.
How common is Funderburg?
Funderburg ranks #15,395 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,834 people with the surname Funderburg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,103), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Funderburg.
Has Funderburg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Funderburg went from 1,958 recorded bearers to 1,834. That is a decrease of 124 (-6.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,066 to #15,395.
What does the Census say about the background of Funderburg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Funderburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 73.5%. The next largest groups are Black (18.6%) and Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Funderburg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 73.5% (1,348 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Funderburg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (73.5%), Black (18.6%), Two or More Races (4.3%). 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 Funderburg (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 Funderburg mean?
Derived from a German place name meaning "the fortress of Funther," likely referring to a historic landowner or settler. 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 Funderburg (0.61 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 Funderburg?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.