Find out how popular the last name Middendorf is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Middendorf.

Middendorf, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Middendorf surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Middendorf in America

Middendorf is the 13349th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Middendorf surname appeared 2,284 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Middendorf.

We can also compare 2010 data for Middendorf to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Middendorf

The surname Middendorf originates from the German region of Lower Saxony, specifically around the town of Celle. It is believed to have emerged sometime in the 13th or 14th century. The name is derived from the Old German words "middel" meaning "middle" and "dorp" meaning "village," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name lived in a village located in a central area.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Middendorf can be found in a 1486 tax record from the town of Burgwedel, near Celle. The document lists a "Hans Middendorp" as a landowner in the area. This spelling variation, "Middendorp," was common in the early days of the name's usage.

In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Hanseatic League, a powerful economic alliance of merchant guilds and market towns in Northern Europe. A merchant named Christoph Middendorf is mentioned as trading goods between Bremen and Lübeck in 1534.

As the name spread across Germany and beyond, variations in spelling became more common. In the Netherlands, for instance, the name was sometimes written as "Middendorp" or "Middendorff." One notable bearer of the name was the Dutch painter and engraver Isack Middendorp, who was active in the 17th century.

Another individual of note was Johann Middendorf, a German botanist and explorer who lived from 1810 to 1892. He is best known for his expeditions to South America, where he collected and documented numerous plant species.

During the 19th century, the Middendorf name also gained prominence in the United States. One of the earliest recorded bearers in America was Carl Middendorf, a German immigrant who settled in Texas in the 1840s and became a successful rancher and businessman.

In the realm of literature, the German-American author and journalist Fritz Middendorf (1891-1975) gained recognition for his works depicting the experiences of German immigrants in the United States.

Overall, the surname Middendorf has a rich history spanning several centuries and multiple countries, with notable bearers across various fields, from commerce and science to art and literature.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Middendorf

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Middendorf.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Middendorf was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Middendorf has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Middendorf was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Middendorf, please contact us.

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