2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Kuffer
A surname originating from the German word "kufe" meaning "vat" or "barrel", possibly relating to an occupation involving casks or barrels.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Kuffer. 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 Kuffer 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 Kuffer 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 Kuffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Kuffer
The surname Kuffer originated in Germany in the late medieval period. It is derived from the German word "kufe," which means a tub or vat. The name likely referred to an occupation associated with crafting or using these containers, such as a cooper or brewer.
The earliest recorded instance of the name Kuffer dates back to the 14th century in the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Kuffer was mentioned in a municipal record from 1389. Another early bearer of the name was Jakob Kuffer, a winemaker from the town of Kreuznach, whose name appears in a registry of guild members from 1427.
In the 15th century, the Kuffer name can be found in various parts of southern Germany, including Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One notable individual from this era was Konrad Kuffer, a merchant from Ulm who was involved in the lucrative trade of wine and spices. He lived from approximately 1450 to 1518.
As the Kuffer family spread across German-speaking regions, variations in spelling emerged, such as Küffer, Kueffer, and Kyffer. In the 16th century, a branch of the family settled in the Swiss city of Zürich, where they adopted the spelling Küffer.
One of the most prominent figures bearing the Kuffer name was Johann Kuffer, a German theologian and reformer born in Nuremberg in 1505. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close associate of Martin Luther.
Another notable individual was Christoph Kuffer, a German composer and organist who lived from 1597 to 1654. He served as the court organist in Stuttgart and composed several works for organ and choir.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Kuffer family emigrated to the United States, where they settled in Pennsylvania. One of the earliest recorded Kuffers in America was Johannes Kuffer, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1749.
Throughout its history, the Kuffer surname has been associated with various occupations, including coopers, brewers, merchants, and even scholars and musicians. While its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, the name has since spread across the globe, carried by generations of Kuffer families.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Kuffer
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Kuffer 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 Kuffer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 112
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Kuffer
Kuffer 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
#123,064
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 140
+16 bearers (+12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 4,122 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-19 bearers (-13.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #123,064 | 140 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+12.9%) | Up 4,122 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-13.6%) | Down 18,245 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 Kuffer 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 | #123,064 | #141,309 | -14.8% |
| Count | 140 | 121 | -13.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -19.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Kuffer bearers went from 140 to 121 (-13.6% change). The surname moved down 18,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #123,064 to #141,309.
FAQ
Kuffer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Kuffer?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Kuffer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Kuffer?
Kuffer 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 Kuffer. 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 Kuffer.
Has Kuffer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Kuffer went from 140 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 19 (-13.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #123,064 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Kuffer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Kuffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Kuffer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Kuffer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Kuffer (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 Kuffer mean?
A surname originating from the German word "kufe" meaning "vat" or "barrel", possibly relating to an occupation involving casks or barrels. 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 Kuffer (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 last name Kuffer?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Kuffer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.