2000
#14,250
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,931
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.72
Rare Last name
Herzberg
A toponymic surname derived from places named Herzberg in Germany, likely referring to a hill or mountain.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,112 Americans carry the last name Herzberg. That puts it at #15,343 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 162,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Herzberg 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
2.1K
1 in 162,289
Census rank
#15,343
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,842 bearers of the surname Herzberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15343rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Herzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herzberg
The surname Herzberg is of German origin, originating in the Middle Ages. It is a topographic name, derived from the German words "Herz" meaning heart and "Berg" meaning mountain or hill. This suggests that the name was likely given to someone who lived near a distinctive heart-shaped mountain or hill.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, with references found in medieval German records and manuscripts. One notable example is a mention of a Ritter Herzberg (Knight Herzberg) in a 1271 document from the region of Saxony.
In the 14th century, variations of the name such as Hertzeberge and Hertzberge can be found in historical records from various German states and principalities. This indicates that the name was widespread across the German-speaking regions of Central Europe during this period.
During the Renaissance era, the Herzberg name gained prominence with the birth of Johann Herzberg (1497-1562), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who was a prominent figure in the Lutheran movement. He was a contemporary of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the establishment of Protestantism in Germany.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Herzberg (1725-1802), a Prussian statesman and diplomat who served as the Prime Minister of Prussia under King Frederick the Great. He was instrumental in the modernization of the Prussian state and its political reforms.
In the 19th century, the Herzberg name was associated with the German industrialist and banker Gustav Herzberg (1826-1907), who was a pioneer in the development of the German coal and steel industries. He founded the Herzberg Mining Company, which became one of the largest coal mining operations in Europe at the time.
The name Herzberg has also been linked to several notable academics and scientists. One example is the German-American physicist Gerhard Herzberg (1904-1999), who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1971 for his contributions to the understanding of electronic structure and geometry of molecules, particularly free radicals.
While the Herzberg surname originated in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its earliest roots and historical significance can be traced back to the heart-shaped hills and mountains of medieval Germany, where the name first emerged.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herzberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Herzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Herzberg 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 Herzberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 1,699
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 66
- Two or more races2.7% · 50
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 15
- Black or African American0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herzberg
Herzberg 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
#15,194
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,939
+8 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.66
Rank movement Down 944 places
2020
#15,343
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,842
-97 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 149 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,250 | 1,931 | 0.72 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,194 | 1,939 | 0.66 | +8 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 944 places |
| 2020 | #15,343 | 1,842 | 0.62 | -97 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 149 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 Herzberg 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 | #15,194 | #15,343 | -1.0% |
| Count | 1,939 | 1,842 | -5.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.66 | 0.62 | -6.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herzberg bearers went from 1,939 to 1,842 (-5.0% change). The surname moved down 149 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,194 to #15,343.
FAQ
Herzberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herzberg?
Name Census estimates that about 2,112 living Americans carry the surname Herzberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 162,289 residents.
How common is Herzberg?
Herzberg ranks #15,343 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,842 people with the surname Herzberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Herzberg.
Has Herzberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herzberg went from 1,939 recorded bearers to 1,842. That is a decrease of 97 (-5.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #15,194 to #15,343.
What does the Census say about the background of Herzberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herzberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Herzberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (1,699 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herzberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Herzberg (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 Herzberg mean?
A toponymic surname derived from places named Herzberg in Germany, likely referring to a hill or mountain. 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 Herzberg (0.62 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 common is the surname Herzberg?
Want to know how many people have the surname Herzberg? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.