2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Hafling
An occupational surname derived from the German word "hafer" meaning "oats" and referring to a grower or seller of oats.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Hafling. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hafling 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Hafling in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hafling, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hafling
The surname HAFLING is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old High German word "hafelinc," which referred to a small village or hamlet. This suggests that the name likely originated as a place name for someone who lived in or came from a small settlement.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HAFLING can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a compilation of historical documents from Saxony, which mentions a "Johannes Hafelinc" in a record dated 1297. This provides evidence that the name was in use by the late 13th century.
In the 14th century, there are references to a "Cunradus Haffelingus" in the Monumenta Germaniae Historica, a collection of historical sources from the Holy Roman Empire. This indicates that variations in the spelling of the name, such as "Haffelingus," were already present at this time.
The name HAFLING is also recorded in the Urkundenbuch der Stadt Leipzig, a collection of historical documents from the city of Leipzig, where a "Petrus Hafling" is mentioned in a record from 1412.
One notable figure with the surname HAFLING was Johann Hafling (1455-1522), a German theologian and humanist scholar who served as a professor at the University of Erfurt. He was known for his works on philosophy and theology, including commentaries on Aristotle's writings.
Another individual of historical significance was Erasmus Hafling (1520-1588), a German mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the study of celestial mechanics. He is particularly known for his work on the calculation of planetary orbits and the publication of astronomical tables.
In the 16th century, there are records of a "Matthias Hafling" in the Urkundenbuch des Hochstifts Halberstadt, a collection of documents from the Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt. This suggests that the name was also present in this region of central Germany during this period.
A notable figure from the 17th century was Hans Hafling (1625-1687), a German painter and engraver who was active in the city of Nuremberg. His works included portraits, religious scenes, and illustrations for books.
In the 18th century, the name HAFLING appeared in the records of the University of Tübingen, where a "Johannes Hafling" was listed as a student in 1725. This indicates that individuals with this surname were pursuing higher education at this time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hafling
Among Census respondents with the surname Hafling, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hafling 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 Hafling surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.9% · 107
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hafling
Hafling 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-9 bearers (-7.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 17,404 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 294 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.4%) | Down 17,404 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 294 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 Hafling 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 | #146,201 | #146,495 | -0.2% |
| Count | 113 | 114 | 0.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hafling bearers went from 113 to 114 (+0.9% change). The surname moved down 294 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #146,495.
FAQ
Hafling surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hafling?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Hafling. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Hafling?
Hafling ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Hafling. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Hafling.
Has Hafling become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hafling went from 113 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 1 (+0.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Hafling?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hafling, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Hafling in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.9% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hafling appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.9%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%). 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 Hafling (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 Hafling mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "hafer" meaning "oats" and referring to a grower or seller of oats. 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 Hafling (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 common is the surname Hafling?
If you just want to know how many Americans have the surname Hafling, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.