2000
#127,948
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Himstedt
A locational surname originating from a place called Himstedt, possibly in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Himstedt. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Himstedt 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Himstedt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Himstedt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Himstedt
The surname HIMSTEDT is of German origin, traced back to the medieval period around the 12th century. It is believed to have originated from the region of Lower Saxony, specifically in the areas near the town of Lüneburg. The name is derived from the Old German words "him" meaning "home" and "stedt" meaning "place" or "settlement", suggesting that it may have referred to a homestead or a specific location.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name HIMSTEDT can be found in the Lüneburg Diocesan Records from the late 13th century, where a certain "Johannes Himstedt" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Scharnebeck. This provides evidence of the name's existence and indicates its regional connection to Lower Saxony during that era.
In the 15th century, the name appears in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. A merchant named "Hinrich Himstedt" is documented as having conducted trade between the cities of Hamburg and Lübeck, suggesting the name's association with the mercantile class of the time.
During the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname HIMSTEDT was Johann Himstedt (1516-1586), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Germany. He served as a pastor in various cities, including Magdeburg and Wittenberg, and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
In the 17th century, the name HIMSTEDT can be found in the records of the University of Helmstedt, one of the oldest universities in Germany. A professor named "Georg Himstedt" (1589-1648) is listed as having taught theology and philosophy at the institution during this period.
Another notable individual with the surname HIMSTEDT was Friedrich Himstedt (1772-1838), a German writer and poet who lived during the Romantic era. He is best known for his collection of poems titled "Gedichte" (Poems), published in 1805, which reflected the literary trends of his time.
While the surname HIMSTEDT may have originated in Lower Saxony, it has since spread to other regions of Germany and beyond, reflecting the mobility and migration of people over the centuries. However, its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, and it carries a rich history intertwined with the cultural and religious developments of the time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Himstedt
Among Census respondents with the surname Himstedt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Himstedt 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 Himstedt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.9% · 116
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Himstedt
Himstedt 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-4 bearers (-3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,209 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,948 | 123 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.3%) | Down 12,209 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,152 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 Himstedt 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 | #140,157 | #141,309 | -0.8% |
| Count | 119 | 121 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Himstedt bearers went from 119 to 121 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 1,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #141,309.
FAQ
Himstedt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Himstedt?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Himstedt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Himstedt?
Himstedt ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Himstedt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Himstedt.
Has Himstedt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Himstedt went from 119 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Himstedt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Himstedt, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.9%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Himstedt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.9% (116 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Himstedt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.9%), Hispanic (2.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.8%). 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 Himstedt (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 Himstedt mean?
A locational surname originating from a place called Himstedt, possibly in Germany. 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 Himstedt (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 people have the surname Himstedt?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.