2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Koppenheffer
A German surname derived from "Kopf" meaning head and "Heffer" meaning yeast, originally referring to a baker or brewer.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Koppenheffer. 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 Koppenheffer 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 Koppenheffer 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 Koppenheffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Koppenheffer
The surname Koppenheffer originates from the Low German language and is thought to have its roots in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Hamburg and Bremen. The name is believed to derive from the Old German words "koppen" meaning "to strike" or "to behead," and "heffer," which refers to a cooper or barrel maker. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to an occupation or trade, possibly denoting a person who made barrels or casks.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a document from the town of Lübeck, dated around 1387, which mentions a certain "Hans Koppenheffer." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 14th century in the Hanseatic regions of northern Germany.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name can be found in various records from cities and towns across northern Germany, such as Hamburg, Bremen, and Lüneburg. It is likely that during this period, some individuals bearing the name Koppenheffer migrated to other parts of Europe or even to the New World.
Among notable individuals with the surname Koppenheffer, one can mention Johann Koppenheffer (1603-1668), a prominent merchant from Hamburg who was involved in the lucrative trade with the Netherlands and England. Another individual of note was Maria Koppenheffer (1721-1789), a renowned painter from the city of Lübeck, whose works can still be found in several museums in northern Germany.
In the 19th century, the name appears in various records from the German states, including Prussia and Saxony. One example is Friedrich Koppenheffer (1845-1912), a prominent lawyer and politician from Berlin, who served as a member of the Reichstag (Imperial Parliament) for several years.
Another notable figure was Heinrich Koppenheffer (1875-1943), a German industrialist and inventor from Düsseldorf, who held several patents for innovative manufacturing processes.
While the surname Koppenheffer is predominantly found in Germany, it is likely that individuals bearing this name eventually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond, as a result of migration and other historical events.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Koppenheffer
Among Census respondents with the surname Koppenheffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Koppenheffer 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 Koppenheffer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.6% · 98
- Two or more races4.7% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Koppenheffer
Koppenheffer 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
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,120 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-12 bearers (-10.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,482 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,120 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-10.1%) | Down 11,482 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 Koppenheffer 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 | #151,639 | -8.2% |
| Count | 119 | 107 | -10.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Koppenheffer bearers went from 119 to 107 (-10.1% change). The surname moved down 11,482 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #151,639.
FAQ
Koppenheffer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Koppenheffer?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Koppenheffer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Koppenheffer?
Koppenheffer 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 Koppenheffer. 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 Koppenheffer.
Has Koppenheffer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Koppenheffer went from 119 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 12 (-10.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Koppenheffer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Koppenheffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.7%) and Black (1.9%). 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 Koppenheffer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.6% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Koppenheffer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.6%), Two or More Races (4.7%), Black (1.9%). 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 Koppenheffer (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 Koppenheffer mean?
A German surname derived from "Kopf" meaning head and "Heffer" meaning yeast, originally referring to a baker or brewer. 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 Koppenheffer (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 Koppenheffer?
Find out how many people have the last name Koppenheffer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.