2000
#129,619
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Limpach
A topographic surname for someone who lived near a linden tree.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Limpach. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Limpach 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Limpach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Limpach, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Limpach
The surname Limpach is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Limpach," which refers to a small river or stream. This suggests that the name may have been associated with a location near a body of water or a specific geographic feature.
Limpach is considered a locational surname, meaning it was initially used to identify a person's place of origin or residence. In medieval times, it was common for individuals to adopt surnames based on their hometown, village, or other geographic landmarks. This practice helped distinguish people within communities and aided in record-keeping.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Limpach can be found in the historical records of the town of Rostock, in northern Germany, dating back to the late 1500s. The name appears in various documents, such as tax records, property deeds, and church registers, indicating that individuals bearing the surname lived in or around the region at that time.
It is worth noting that the spelling of surnames often varied in the past due to inconsistent record-keeping and regional dialects. As a result, alternative spellings like "Limpacher," "Limpach," or "Limpacher" may have been used interchangeably.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have carried the Limpach surname. One example is Johann Limpach (1670-1732), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg. Another notable figure is Karl Limpach (1795-1868), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Frankfurt Parliament during the Revolutions of 1848.
In the 18th century, a family by the name of Limpach owned a substantial estate in the town of Oberhausen, located in what is now the state of Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany. This suggests that the name may have been associated with landowners or individuals of some prominence in the region.
Another individual of note is Friedrich Limpach (1842-1905), a German architect who designed several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Berliner Stadtmission and the Haus der Handwerker.
While the name Limpach is relatively uncommon today, it continues to be associated with its German roots and the historical significance of its locational origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Limpach
Among Census respondents with the surname Limpach, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Limpach 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 Limpach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.7% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Limpach
Limpach 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-6 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,522 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-4 bearers (-3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,524 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #129,619 | 121 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 14,522 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.5%) | Down 4,524 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 Limpach 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 | #144,141 | #148,665 | -3.1% |
| Count | 115 | 111 | -3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Limpach bearers went from 115 to 111 (-3.5% change). The surname moved down 4,524 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #148,665.
FAQ
Limpach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Limpach?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Limpach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Limpach?
Limpach ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Limpach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Limpach.
Has Limpach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Limpach went from 115 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Limpach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Limpach, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Limpach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Limpach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (3.6%). 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 Limpach (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 Limpach mean?
A topographic surname for someone who lived near a linden tree. 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 Limpach (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 Americans have the surname Limpach?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.