2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Madlener
From a German surname meaning "one who makes madles (a type of noodle)".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Madlener. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Madlener 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Madlener in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Madlener, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Madlener
The surname Madlener is of German origin, originating in the region of Bavaria during the late 15th century. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "madel," meaning "maiden" or "young girl," suggesting that the name may have initially referred to someone who was associated with or employed by a young woman of high social standing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Madlener can be found in the town records of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Madlener is mentioned in relation to a property dispute in the year 1487. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.
The Madlener surname also appears in various genealogical records and historical documents from the 16th and 17th centuries, particularly in the areas around the cities of Munich and Augsburg. One notable example is Johann Madlener, a wealthy merchant and landowner who lived in Augsburg during the late 16th century and was involved in the city's prosperous textile trade.
In the 18th century, the Madlener family gained prominence in the region of Franconia, where they held numerous positions of authority and influence. A prominent figure from this era was Karl Friedrich Madlener (1718-1788), who served as the mayor of the town of Erlangen for several years and was instrumental in the development of the local infrastructure and education system.
As the Madlener family spread across different parts of Germany, variations in the spelling of the surname emerged, such as Madlener, Madlener, and Madlner. One notable individual who bore this variant spelling was the German artist and illustrator Carl Madlener (1807-1878), whose intricate woodcut engravings and illustrations were widely admired during his lifetime.
Another prominent figure associated with the Madlener surname was Gustav Madlener (1857-1925), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the successful Madlener Brewing Company in Nuremberg. His brewery became renowned for its high-quality lagers and played a significant role in the city's economic growth during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the Madlener surname is primarily associated with Germany, it has also been found in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage over the centuries. One notable example is the Austrian architect and designer Karl Madlener (1876-1953), who was responsible for designing several iconic buildings in Vienna, including the renowned Madlener House, which bears his family's name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Madlener
Among Census respondents with the surname Madlener, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Madlener 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 Madlener surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White79.6% · 82
- Hispanic or Latino10.7% · 11
- Two or more races3.9% · 4
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Madlener
Madlener 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
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
-4 bearers (-3.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,012 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-3 bearers (-2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 413 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.6%) | Down 14,012 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.8%) | Down 413 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 Madlener 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 | #153,769 | #154,182 | -0.3% |
| Count | 106 | 103 | -2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Madlener bearers went from 106 to 103 (-2.8% change). The surname moved down 413 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #154,182.
FAQ
Madlener surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Madlener?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Madlener. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Madlener?
Madlener ranks #154,182 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 103 people with the surname Madlener. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Madlener.
Has Madlener become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Madlener went from 106 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Madlener?
Among Census respondents with the surname Madlener, the largest self-reported group is White at 79.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (10.7%) and Two or More Races (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 Madlener in the 2020 Census, accounting for 79.6% (82 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Madlener appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (79.6%), Hispanic (10.7%), Two or More Races (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 Madlener (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 Madlener mean?
From a German surname meaning "one who makes madles (a type of noodle)". 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 Madlener (0.03 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 Madlener?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.