2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Herbstreith
A surname derived from a combination of the German words "Herbst" (autumn) and "Reith" (clearing or meadow).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Herbstreith. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herbstreith 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Herbstreith in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herbstreith, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herbstreith
The surname Herbstreith originates from Germany, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from a Middle German term, "Herbstried," which translates to "autumn clearing" or "autumn meadow." This suggests that the name may have originated from a geographical location or a specific area known for its autumnal landscapes.
One of the earliest known bearers of the Herbstreith name was Hans Herbstreith, a farmer who lived in the village of Meiningen, located in the present-day state of Thuringia, Germany, during the late 1500s. Records from that time period indicate that he owned a modest plot of land and was engaged in agricultural activities.
In the 17th century, the Herbstreith family had established a presence in the city of Nuremberg, which was a prominent center of trade and commerce during the Renaissance period. Johannes Herbstreith, a merchant and trader, is documented as having operated a successful business in the city's bustling market district from 1642 to 1681.
The 18th century saw the emergence of a notable figure named Friedrich Herbstreith, who was born in 1732 in the town of Meiningen. He gained recognition as a skilled woodcarver and sculptor, contributing to the region's artistic traditions. Several of his intricate woodcarvings adorned churches and public buildings in the surrounding areas.
During the 19th century, the Herbstreith name gained further prominence with the birth of Wilhelm Herbstreith in 1847. He was a renowned linguist and scholar who made significant contributions to the study of Germanic languages. His influential works on the etymology and historical development of German dialects are still referenced by linguists today.
Another notable individual bearing the Herbstreith surname was Elise Herbstreith, born in 1865 in the city of Frankfurt. She was a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights, establishing one of the first educational institutions in Germany that provided equal opportunities for girls and young women.
Throughout its history, the Herbstreith surname has maintained a strong association with its German roots, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and geographical diversity of the regions where it originated and flourished.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herbstreith
Among Census respondents with the surname Herbstreith, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Hispanic (5.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Herbstreith 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 Herbstreith surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.4% · 85
- Two or more races9.3% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 6
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herbstreith
Herbstreith 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+5 bearers (+4.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,357 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-11 bearers (-9.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,499 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +5 bearers (+4.4%) | Down 4,357 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-9.3%) | Down 10,499 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 Herbstreith 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 | #141,140 | #151,639 | -7.4% |
| Count | 118 | 107 | -9.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herbstreith bearers went from 118 to 107 (-9.3% change). The surname moved down 10,499 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #151,639.
FAQ
Herbstreith surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herbstreith?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Herbstreith. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Herbstreith?
Herbstreith ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Herbstreith. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Herbstreith.
Has Herbstreith become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herbstreith went from 118 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Herbstreith?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herbstreith, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (9.3%) and Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Herbstreith in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.4% (85 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herbstreith appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.4%), Two or More Races (9.3%), Hispanic (5.6%). 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 Herbstreith (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 Herbstreith mean?
A surname derived from a combination of the German words "Herbst" (autumn) and "Reith" (clearing or meadow). 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 Herbstreith (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 share the surname Herbstreith?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.