Find out how popular the last name Helfer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Helfer.

Helfer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Helfer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Helfer in America

Helfer is the 18184th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Helfer surname appeared 1,530 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Helfer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Helfer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Helfer

The surname Helfer is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "helfer," meaning "helper" or "assistant." It likely emerged in the late medieval period as an occupational name for someone who worked as a helper or assistant in various trades or professions.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname Helfer can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of present-day Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. The name was often associated with individuals who worked in agricultural or artisanal settings, assisting skilled workers or landowners.

In the 15th century, the surname Helfer appeared in several historical documents, including town records and tax registers. For instance, a certain Hans Helfer was mentioned in the records of the city of Nuremberg in 1487, indicating his presence as a resident or tradesman.

One notable early bearer of the surname was Johann Helfer, a Protestant theologian and reformer who lived in the 16th century (c. 1520-1590). He was a prominent figure in the Reformation movement and worked closely with Martin Luther, contributing to the translation of the Bible into German.

During the 17th and 18th centuries, the Helfer surname spread across various regions of Germany and was also found in areas of present-day Austria and Switzerland. Some examples of notable individuals from this period include:

1. Christoph Helfer (1633-1701), a German composer and organist active in the Baroque era.
2. Maria Helfer (1688-1762), a German painter known for her religious works and portraits.
3. Jakob Helfer (1723-1790), a Swiss mathematician and astronomer who made contributions to the fields of celestial mechanics and navigation.

In the 19th century, the Helfer surname began appearing in various parts of Europe and North America, as some members of the family immigrated to other countries. One prominent figure was:

4. Franz Helfer (1811-1884), an Austrian naturalist and explorer who traveled extensively in Southeast Asia and documented the region's flora and fauna.

Another noteworthy individual was:

5. Gottfried Helfer (1855-1923), a German-American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Helfer Brewing Company in St. Louis, Missouri, and donated generously to educational and charitable causes.

Over time, the surname Helfer has been found in various spellings and regional variations, such as Helfert, Helfers, and Helfrich, reflecting the linguistic diversity of the areas where it was present.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Helfer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Helfer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Helfer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Helfer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Helfer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Helfer, please contact us.

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