2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Hafenstein
A German surname derived from a placename referring to a stony or rocky hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Hafenstein. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hafenstein 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Hafenstein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hafenstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hafenstein
The surname Hafenstein is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval era. It is believed to have originated from a place name, likely a small village or hamlet in one of the German-speaking regions of Europe.
Hafenstein is a compound word, derived from the German words "Hafen" meaning "harbor" or "port," and "Stein" meaning "stone." This suggests that the name may have been initially associated with a settlement located near a stony harbor or a port area surrounded by rocky terrain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Hafenstein can be found in the Biberacher Burgerbucher, a citizen registry from the town of Biberach in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, dating back to the 15th century. This document mentions a certain Hans Hafenstein, who was a merchant and landowner in the region during that period.
In the 16th century, the Hafenstein name appears in various historical records and manuscripts from the German states of Bavaria and Saxony. Notable mentions include a certain Johann Hafenstein, a prominent clergyman and scholar who lived from 1523 to 1588, and a family of Hafensteins who were well-known brewers and tavern owners in the city of Leipzig during the late 1500s.
As the centuries passed, the Hafenstein family dispersed across different parts of Germany and beyond. In the 18th century, a notable figure was Carl Friedrich Hafenstein (1724-1793), a renowned German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings and public spaces in the city of Berlin.
Another prominent individual with the Hafenstein surname was Wilhelm Hafenstein (1825-1901), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who played a significant role in the development of the steel industry in the Ruhr region of Germany during the 19th century.
In more recent times, one of the most famous bearers of the Hafenstein name was the German-American artist and sculptor Hans Hafenstein (1906-1985), whose works are displayed in numerous art galleries and museums across the United States and Europe.
While the name Hafenstein may not be as widespread as some other German surnames, it has left its mark on history through the accomplishments and contributions of its bearers in various fields, from religion and academia to architecture, industry, and the arts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hafenstein
Among Census respondents with the surname Hafenstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Hafenstein 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 Hafenstein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hafenstein
Hafenstein 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
#123,796
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 139
+22 bearers (+18.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,318 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-18 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,513 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,796 | 139 | 0.05 | +22 bearers (+18.8%) | Up 9,318 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 17,513 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 Hafenstein 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 | #123,796 | #141,309 | -14.1% |
| Count | 139 | 121 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hafenstein bearers went from 139 to 121 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 17,513 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,796 to #141,309.
FAQ
Hafenstein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hafenstein?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Hafenstein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Hafenstein?
Hafenstein ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Hafenstein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Hafenstein.
Has Hafenstein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hafenstein went from 139 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 18 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,796 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Hafenstein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hafenstein, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Hafenstein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hafenstein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (4.1%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.7%). 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 Hafenstein (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 Hafenstein mean?
A German surname derived from a placename referring to a stony or rocky hill. 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 Hafenstein (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 are called Hafenstein?
You can see how many people have the surname Hafenstein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.