2000
#6,110
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,176
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.92
Rare Last name
Hildebrandt
A German surname derived from the Old High German words "hild" (battle) and "brant" (sword).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,743 Americans carry the last name Hildebrandt. That puts it at #6,513 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 59,682 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hildebrandt 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
5.7K
1 in 59,682
Census rank
#6,513
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,008 bearers of the surname Hildebrandt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6513th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hildebrandt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hildebrandt
The surname Hildebrandt has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the medieval period. It is a compound name derived from the Germanic elements "hild" meaning battle, and "brand" meaning sword or flame. Thus, the name literally translates to "battle-sword" or "fiery battle," suggesting a warrior or military connection.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Hildebrandt name is found in the 13th century, in the chronicles of the town of Lübeck in northern Germany. The name is mentioned as Hildebrandus, referring to a prominent merchant family in the area. Over time, various spellings emerged, including Hildebrand, Hilbrand, and eventually Hildebrandt.
In the 14th century, the Hildebrandt name appeared in official records in the region of Saxony, where it is believed to have originated. One notable example is Johann Hildebrandt, a wealthy landowner and burgher in the city of Leipzig, who lived from around 1340 to 1405.
The Hildebrandt name gained further prominence in the 16th century, with the rise of the Reformation movement in Germany. One notable figure was Joachim Hildebrandt, a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Saxony, who lived from 1523 to 1588. He was known for his influential writings on Protestant doctrine and his involvement in the religious debates of the time.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, several Hildebrandt individuals made significant contributions in various fields. Hans Hildebrandt (1599-1672) was a renowned German painter and engraver, known for his intricate landscapes and architectural illustrations. Another notable figure was Philipp Friedrich Hildebrandt (1664-1738), a German architect who worked extensively in Vienna and is celebrated for his baroque and rococo designs, including the Belvedere Palace.
In the 19th century, Eduard Hildebrandt (1818-1868) was a prominent German explorer and naturalist, who conducted extensive research in South America and contributed significantly to the field of botany. His work on the flora of the Amazon region was highly influential.
As the Hildebrandt name spread across Germany and beyond, it has been associated with notable individuals in various fields, from academics and artists to politicians and entrepreneurs. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, its rich history and diverse representations continue to shape its meaning and significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hildebrandt
Among Census respondents with the surname Hildebrandt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Hildebrandt 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 Hildebrandt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 4,581
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 162
- Two or more races3.0% · 151
- Black or African American1.2% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 47
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hildebrandt
Hildebrandt 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
#6,273
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,448
+272 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 1.85
Rank movement Down 163 places
2020
#6,513
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,008
-440 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 1.68
Rank movement Down 240 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,110 | 5,176 | 1.92 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,273 | 5,448 | 1.85 | +272 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 163 places |
| 2020 | #6,513 | 5,008 | 1.68 | -440 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 240 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 Hildebrandt 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 | #6,273 | #6,513 | -3.8% |
| Count | 5,448 | 5,008 | -8.1% |
| Per 100K | 1.85 | 1.68 | -9.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hildebrandt bearers went from 5,448 to 5,008 (-8.1% change). The surname moved down 240 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,273 to #6,513.
FAQ
Hildebrandt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hildebrandt?
Name Census estimates that about 5,743 living Americans carry the surname Hildebrandt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 59,682 residents.
How common is Hildebrandt?
Hildebrandt ranks #6,513 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.68 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,008 people with the surname Hildebrandt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,743), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.68 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Hildebrandt.
Has Hildebrandt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hildebrandt went from 5,448 recorded bearers to 5,008. That is a decrease of 440 (-8.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #6,273 to #6,513.
What does the Census say about the background of Hildebrandt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hildebrandt, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Hildebrandt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (4,581 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hildebrandt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (3.0%). 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 Hildebrandt (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 Hildebrandt mean?
A German surname derived from the Old High German words "hild" (battle) and "brant" (sword). 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 Hildebrandt (1.68 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 Hildebrandt?
See how many people have the last name Hildebrandt on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.