2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Igler
A surname originating from a German or Swiss occupational term for a needle-maker or dealer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 147 Americans carry the last name Igler. That puts it at #136,082 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,331,662 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Igler 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
147
1 in 2,331,662
Census rank
#136,082
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
128
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 128 bearers of the surname Igler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 136082nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Igler, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Black (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Igler
The surname IGLER is believed to have originated in Germany, where it first emerged in the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Igel," which means "hedgehog." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a nickname for someone with spiky or bristly hair, or perhaps as a reference to a prickly personality.
The earliest recorded instances of the IGLER name can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria and Saxony. In some areas, the name was also spelled as "Igeler" or "Iglar," reflecting the regional variations in pronunciation and spelling at the time.
One of the earliest known references to the IGLER name appears in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Nuremberg, which mentions a certain "Johannes Igeler" as a local craftsman. This suggests that the name was well-established in the region by that point.
In the 16th century, the IGLER name gained some prominence with the birth of Johannes Igler (1502-1564), a German theologian and Protestant reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation movement. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and helped spread Lutheran teachings throughout parts of Germany.
Another notable figure bearing the IGLER surname was Hans Igler (1637-1712), a German artist and engraver who was renowned for his intricate copperplate engravings. His works depicted various religious and historical scenes, and he is considered one of the most skilled engravers of the Baroque period.
In the 19th century, the IGLER name appeared in several historical records from the Palatinate region of Germany. One such record from 1842 mentions a family named IGLER who resided in the town of Landau. This suggests that the name had spread and become established in different parts of Germany over the centuries.
Other notable individuals with the IGLER surname include Friedrich Igler (1828-1902), a German botanist and author who wrote extensively on the flora of Central Europe, and Wilhelm Igler (1880-1945), a German sculptor and artist whose works were exhibited in various galleries across Germany in the early 20th century.
While the IGLER name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and various historical events. However, its origins can be traced back to the German language and the medieval period, where it likely began as a descriptive nickname related to the hedgehog.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Igler
Among Census respondents with the surname Igler, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Black (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Igler 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 Igler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.2% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino5.5% · 7
- Black or African American3.9% · 5
- Two or more races2.3% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.6% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Igler
Igler 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,273 places
2020
#136,082
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
+20 bearers (+18.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 15,450 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 19,273 places |
| 2020 | #136,082 | 128 | 0.04 | +20 bearers (+18.5%) | Up 15,450 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 Igler 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 | #151,532 | #136,082 | 10.2% |
| Count | 108 | 128 | 18.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Igler bearers went from 108 to 128 (+18.5% change). The surname moved up 15,450 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #136,082.
FAQ
Igler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Igler?
Name Census estimates that about 147 living Americans carry the surname Igler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,331,662 residents.
How common is Igler?
Igler ranks #136,082 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 128 people with the surname Igler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (147), 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 Igler.
Has Igler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Igler went from 108 recorded bearers to 128. That is an increase of 20 (+18.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #136,082.
What does the Census say about the background of Igler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Igler, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.5%) and Black (3.9%). 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 Igler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.2% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Igler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.2%), Hispanic (5.5%), Black (3.9%). 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 Igler (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 Igler mean?
A surname originating from a German or Swiss occupational term for a needle-maker or dealer. 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 Igler (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 are called Igler?
Want to know how many people are called Igler? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.