2000
#72,905
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 248
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.09
Very Rare Last name
Herlein
A German name derived from a personal name meaning "leader of warriors" or "army leader."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 302 Americans carry the last name Herlein. That puts it at #78,395 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.09 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,134,948 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herlein 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
302
1 in 1,134,948
Census rank
#78,395
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
263
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 263 bearers of the surname Herlein in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.09 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 78395th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herlein
The surname Herlein is of German origin and dates back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the Old German word "herlin," which means "a little army" or "a small troop." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who was a soldier or a leader of a small military unit.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Herlein can be found in the Bavarian town of Landshut, where a man named Herlein von Landshut was mentioned in a local chronicle from the year 1375. This indicates that the name was already established in the region during that time period.
In the 15th century, the Herlein family appears to have spread to other parts of Germany, as evidenced by the appearance of the name in various historical records. For instance, a certain Johannes Herlein was a prominent merchant in the city of Nuremberg in the late 1400s, while a Konrad Herlein served as a city councilor in Regensburg around the same time.
The name Herlein has also been associated with several notable individuals throughout history. One such person was Sebastian Herlein, a German theologian and author who lived from 1552 to 1622. He was known for his writings on religious topics and served as a pastor in several churches in Saxony.
Another notable Herlein was Johann Jakob Herlein, a German composer and organist who lived from 1670 to 1737. He was highly regarded for his compositions for organ and choir, and held prestigious positions as an organist in various churches in Nuremberg and Ansbach.
In the 19th century, a prominent figure with the surname Herlein was Wilhelm Herlein, a German architect who was born in 1818 and died in 1892. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in the city of Munich, including the Neue Pinakothek art museum and the Alte Pinakothek art gallery.
Other notable individuals with the surname Herlein include the 16th-century painter Hans Herlein, who was active in Nuremberg, and the 20th-century German writer and critic Otto Herlein, who was born in 1897 and died in 1983.
While the name Herlein may have originated in Bavaria and spread to other parts of Germany, it is important to note that surnames were not always fixed in the past, and spellings could vary depending on the region and the person recording the name. Therefore, some variations of the name, such as Herlin or Herleyn, may also be encountered in historical records.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herlein
Among Census respondents with the surname Herlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Herlein 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 Herlein surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.3% · 227
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.6% · 12
- Two or more races4.2% · 11
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 9
- Black or African American0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herlein
Herlein 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
#79,338
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 240
-8 bearers (-3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 6,433 places
2020
#78,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 263
+23 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Up 943 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #72,905 | 248 | 0.09 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #79,338 | 240 | 0.08 | -8 bearers (-3.2%) | Down 6,433 places |
| 2020 | #78,395 | 263 | 0.09 | +23 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 943 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 Herlein 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 | #79,338 | #78,395 | 1.2% |
| Count | 240 | 263 | 9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.09 | 10.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herlein bearers went from 240 to 263 (+9.6% change). The surname moved up 943 positions in the national ranking, going from #79,338 to #78,395.
FAQ
Herlein surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herlein?
Name Census estimates that about 302 living Americans carry the surname Herlein. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,134,948 residents.
How common is Herlein?
Herlein ranks #78,395 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.09 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 263 people with the surname Herlein. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (302), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.09 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.09 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 Herlein.
Has Herlein become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herlein went from 240 recorded bearers to 263. That is an increase of 23 (+9.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #79,338 to #78,395.
What does the Census say about the background of Herlein?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herlein, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Herlein in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.3% (227 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herlein appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (4.6%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Herlein (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 Herlein mean?
A German name derived from a personal name meaning "leader of warriors" or "army leader." 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 Herlein (0.09 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 Herlein?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Herlein on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.