2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Heffentrager
A surname derived from the German words for "porter" or "carrier" of beer or yeast.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Heffentrager. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Heffentrager 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Heffentrager in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffentrager, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Heffentrager
The surname Heffentrager originates from Germany, with roots tracing back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German words "Hefe," meaning "yeast," and "tragen," meaning "to carry." The name likely referred to an occupation involving the transportation or delivery of yeast, which was a crucial ingredient in brewing beer and baking bread during that era.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Heffentrager surname can be found in the Zwickau town records from 1562, where a certain Johann Heffentrager is mentioned. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by the mid-16th century.
In the 17th century, the Heffentrager name appeared in various parts of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. A notable individual from this period was Hans Heffentrager (1604-1672), a brewer from Nuremberg who was renowned for his exceptional brewing techniques.
As the name spread across different regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Hefftragher, Hefentragher, and Heffetrager. These variations were common due to the inconsistencies in record-keeping and the lack of standardized spelling conventions during that time.
In the 18th century, the Heffentrager surname gained prominence in the region of Hesse, where a family of millers and bakers bearing this name resided. One notable member was Johann Friedrich Heffentrager (1738-1812), who operated a successful bakery in Kassel and was known for his philanthropic efforts in supporting local orphanages.
The 19th century saw the Heffentrager name spread further across Europe, with individuals bearing this surname appearing in records from countries such as Austria, Switzerland, and even the Netherlands. One notable figure from this period was Wilhelm Heffentrager (1821-1899), a German-born engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early railroad technologies in Prussia.
Other notable individuals with the Heffentrager surname include Karl Heffentrager (1870-1942), a German painter and illustrator renowned for his landscapes and depictions of rural life, and Anna Heffentrager (1892-1974), a celebrated opera singer who performed in various theaters across Europe in the early 20th century.
Throughout its history, the Heffentrager surname has maintained a strong association with the brewing, baking, and agricultural industries, reflecting its origins as an occupational name. While the name has spread and evolved over time, it continues to carry the legacy of its Germanic roots and the traditional crafts it once represented.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Heffentrager
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffentrager, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Heffentrager 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 Heffentrager surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Heffentrager
Heffentrager 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-6 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,218 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-12 bearers (-9.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,119 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 13,218 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.8%) | Down 12,119 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 Heffentrager 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 | #137,327 | #149,446 | -8.8% |
| Count | 122 | 110 | -9.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Heffentrager bearers went from 122 to 110 (-9.8% change). The surname moved down 12,119 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #149,446.
FAQ
Heffentrager surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Heffentrager?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Heffentrager. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Heffentrager?
Heffentrager ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Heffentrager. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Heffentrager.
Has Heffentrager become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Heffentrager went from 122 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 12 (-9.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Heffentrager?
Among Census respondents with the surname Heffentrager, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Heffentrager in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Heffentrager appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Heffentrager (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 Heffentrager mean?
A surname derived from the German words for "porter" or "carrier" of beer or yeast. 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 Heffentrager (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 have the last name Heffentrager?
Want to know how many people have the last name Heffentrager? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.