2000
#113,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 143
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Herrenbruck
A German surname derived from a place name, likely pertaining to someone from a particular town or region.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 179 Americans carry the last name Herrenbruck. That puts it at #117,879 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,914,829 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herrenbruck 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
179
1 in 1,914,829
Census rank
#117,879
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
156
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 156 bearers of the surname Herrenbruck in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 117879th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herrenbruck, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herrenbruck
The surname Herrenbruck has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German words "Herren," meaning "lord" or "master," and "Bruck," meaning "bridge." This suggests that the name may have originated from a person who lived near a bridge owned by a lord or master.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Herrenbruck can be found in the parish records of the town of Wittenberg, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, in the year 1562. The entry mentions a certain Hans Herrenbruck, who was a blacksmith by trade.
In the 17th century, the name appears in various land records and tax rolls across different regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Rhineland-Palatinate. This indicates that the Herrenbruck family had spread to different parts of the country by this time.
A notable figure bearing the surname Herrenbruck was Johann Herrenbruck (1654-1718), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Wittenberg. He authored several scholarly works on theology and philosophy during his lifetime.
Another individual of note was Friedrich Herrenbruck (1781-1854), a German military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars. He rose to the rank of Major General and was awarded the Iron Cross for his bravery on the battlefield.
In the 19th century, the name Herrenbruck can be found in records from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria. One such record mentions a certain Wilhelm Herrenbruck (1832-1901), who was a prominent merchant and town councilor.
Towards the end of the 19th century, some members of the Herrenbruck family emigrated to the United States and other parts of the world, seeking new opportunities. One such individual was Karl Herrenbruck (1872-1946), who settled in New York City and worked as a carpenter.
Another notable figure was Else Herrenbruck (1898-1978), a German-American artist and painter. She was born in Berlin but later moved to the United States, where she became known for her landscape and portrait paintings.
While the surname Herrenbruck may not be as common today as it once was, it remains a part of the rich cultural heritage and history of Germany, carrying with it the echoes of a bygone era and the stories of those who bore this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herrenbruck
Among Census respondents with the surname Herrenbruck, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Herrenbruck 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 Herrenbruck surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.4% · 155
- Hispanic or Latino0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herrenbruck
Herrenbruck 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
#118,185
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 147
+4 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,666 places
2020
#117,879
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 156
+9 bearers (+6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 306 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #113,519 | 143 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #118,185 | 147 | 0.05 | +4 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 4,666 places |
| 2020 | #117,879 | 156 | 0.05 | +9 bearers (+6.1%) | Up 306 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 Herrenbruck 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 | #118,185 | #117,879 | 0.3% |
| Count | 147 | 156 | 6.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 4.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herrenbruck bearers went from 147 to 156 (+6.1% change). The surname moved up 306 positions in the national ranking, going from #118,185 to #117,879.
FAQ
Herrenbruck surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herrenbruck?
Name Census estimates that about 179 living Americans carry the surname Herrenbruck. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,914,829 residents.
How common is Herrenbruck?
Herrenbruck ranks #117,879 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 156 people with the surname Herrenbruck. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (179), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Herrenbruck.
Has Herrenbruck become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herrenbruck went from 147 recorded bearers to 156. That is an increase of 9 (+6.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #118,185 to #117,879.
What does the Census say about the background of Herrenbruck?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herrenbruck, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (0.6%). 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 Herrenbruck in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.4% (155 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herrenbruck appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.4%), Hispanic (0.6%). 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 Herrenbruck (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 Herrenbruck mean?
A German surname derived from a place name, likely pertaining to someone from a particular town or region. 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 Herrenbruck (0.05 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 Herrenbruck?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Herrenbruck on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.