2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Metzbower
A German surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller from Metzenbauer".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Metzbower. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Metzbower 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Metzbower in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Metzbower, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Metzbower
The surname Metzbower is believed to have originated in the German-speaking regions of Europe, potentially in areas such as modern-day Germany or Switzerland. It is likely derived from a combination of the German words "metz" (meaning "butcher") and "bauer" (meaning "farmer" or "peasant"). This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone who was a butcher by trade and also engaged in farming activities.
The earliest recorded instances of the Metzbower surname can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries in various historical documents and records from German-speaking regions. Some variations in spelling, such as Metzbaur or Metzbauer, were also common during that time period. The name appears to have been particularly prevalent in certain regions and towns, which may indicate the specific areas where it first emerged.
One notable historical figure with the surname Metzbower was Johann Metzbower, a German scholar and theologian born in 1589 in the town of Mülheim an der Ruhr. He authored several religious texts and served as a professor at the University of Heidelberg during the early 17th century.
Another individual of note was Anna Metzbower, a German immigrant to the American colonies in the mid-18th century. Records indicate that she settled in Pennsylvania and was involved in the establishment of one of the earliest German-speaking communities in that region.
In the 19th century, a man named Heinrich Metzbower gained recognition as a skilled craftsman and furniture maker in the city of Cologne, Germany. His handcrafted pieces were highly sought after by local nobility and wealthy patrons.
Towards the end of the 19th century, a family with the surname Metzbower played a significant role in the agricultural development of certain regions in southern Germany. Their innovative farming techniques and commitment to sustainable practices earned them recognition within their local communities.
Another notable figure was Elise Metzbower, a German-born artist and painter who lived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Her landscape paintings, which often depicted rural scenes from her homeland, were widely celebrated and exhibited in various galleries across Europe.
While the Metzbower surname may have originated in German-speaking regions, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and intermarriage. However, its roots and historical significance remain deeply connected to its Germanic heritage and the various individuals who have carried this name throughout the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Metzbower
Among Census respondents with the surname Metzbower, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Metzbower 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 Metzbower surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White86.0% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino7.0% · 8
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Metzbower
Metzbower appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+8 bearers (+7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,274 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.5%) | Up 7,274 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 Metzbower 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 | #146,495 | 4.7% |
| Count | 106 | 114 | 7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Metzbower bearers went from 106 to 114 (+7.5% change). The surname moved up 7,274 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #146,495.
FAQ
Metzbower surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Metzbower?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Metzbower. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Metzbower?
Metzbower ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Metzbower. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Metzbower.
Has Metzbower become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Metzbower went from 106 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 8 (+7.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #153,769 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Metzbower?
Among Census respondents with the surname Metzbower, the largest self-reported group is White at 86.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.0%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Metzbower in the 2020 Census, accounting for 86.0% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Metzbower appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (86.0%), Hispanic (7.0%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Metzbower (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 Metzbower mean?
A German surname derived from a place name meaning "dweller from Metzenbauer". 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 Metzbower (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 Metzbower?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people are called Metzbower at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.