2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Herzinger
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name referring to a heart-shaped hill or meadow.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Herzinger. 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 Herzinger 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 Herzinger 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 Herzinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Herzinger
The surname Herzinger has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 16th century. The name is derived from the German word "Herz," meaning "heart," and the suffix "-inger," indicating a place of origin or residence. It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who lived near a settlement or landmark associated with the word "heart."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Herzinger can be found in the 1563 church records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the Franconian region of modern-day Bavaria, Germany. These records mention a family with the surname Herzinger residing in the town during that time.
In the 17th century, the name Herzinger appeared in various documents and records across the German states. Notable examples include Johann Christoph Herzinger (1619-1678), a prominent theologian and professor at the University of Heidelberg, and Hans Herzinger (1645-1712), a skilled clockmaker from the city of Augsburg.
During the 18th century, the Herzinger surname gained recognition with the birth of Johann Baptist Herzinger (1724-1796), a renowned Baroque composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishops of Würzburg. His compositions for organ and sacred vocal works were widely performed and celebrated throughout the region.
As the 19th century dawned, the Herzinger name continued to spread across German-speaking lands. One notable figure was Karl Herzinger (1847-1912), a respected architect who designed several iconic buildings in the city of Munich, including the Bavarian National Museum and the Augustiner Church.
In the early 20th century, the Herzinger surname gained international recognition with the accomplishments of Dr. Otto Herzinger (1892-1968), a pioneering engineer and inventor in the field of radio and telecommunications. His groundbreaking work on radio wave propagation and antenna design contributed significantly to the advancement of wireless communication technology.
Throughout history, the Herzinger surname has been associated with various professions, from scholars and artists to craftsmen and entrepreneurs. While the name originated in Germany, it has since been carried by individuals across Europe and beyond, contributing to the rich cultural tapestry of many societies.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Herzinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Herzinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Herzinger 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 Herzinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.3% · 103
- Two or more races2.8% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Herzinger
Herzinger 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-15 bearers (-12.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 22,995 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,244 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.0%) | Down 22,995 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 2,244 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 Herzinger 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 | #149,395 | #151,639 | -1.5% |
| Count | 110 | 107 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Herzinger bearers went from 110 to 107 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 2,244 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #151,639.
FAQ
Herzinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Herzinger?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Herzinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Herzinger?
Herzinger 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 Herzinger. 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 Herzinger.
Has Herzinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Herzinger went from 110 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Herzinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Herzinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.8%) and Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Herzinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.3% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Herzinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.3%), Two or More Races (2.8%), Hispanic (0.9%). 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 Herzinger (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 Herzinger mean?
A German toponymic surname derived from a place name referring to a heart-shaped hill 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 Herzinger (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 Americans have the surname Herzinger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.