2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Minninger
A surname derived from the German word "Minne" meaning "love" or "affection".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Minninger. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Minninger 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Minninger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Minninger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Minninger
The surname MINNINGER has its origins in Germany, with the earliest recorded examples dating back to the 16th century. The name is believed to be derived from the German word "minne," meaning love or affection, combined with the suffix "-er," which was commonly used to denote occupations or places of origin.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town of Bamberg, Bavaria, where a certain Hans Minninger was mentioned in the town records in 1542. It is likely that this individual or his ancestors may have been associated with a profession or trade related to love or affection, such as a poet, minstrel, or even a matchmaker.
In the 17th century, the MINNINGER name appeared in various church records and local manuscripts throughout southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. One notable figure from this era was Johann Minninger (1625-1687), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Nuremberg, known for his writings on religious doctrine and his involvement in the Protestant Reformation.
As the name spread across German-speaking territories, it evolved into various spellings, such as Minneringer, Minniger, and Minneger, reflecting regional dialects and scribal variations. In the 18th century, the MINNINGER surname gained prominence with the birth of Johann Caspar Minninger (1738-1804), a renowned artist and engraver from Augsburg, whose intricate works were highly sought after by aristocratic patrons across Europe.
The 19th century saw the emergence of several notable individuals bearing the MINNINGER name, including Friedrich Minninger (1817-1892), a German-American author and journalist who played a significant role in the promotion of German culture and literature in the United States.
Another notable figure from this period was Heinrich Minninger (1856-1928), a German businessman and industrialist who founded the Minninger Machinery Company, which became a leading manufacturer of textile machinery and contributed significantly to the industrial development of Germany.
Throughout the 20th century, the MINNINGER surname continued to be associated with various professions and fields, including academia, arts, and sciences. One prominent individual was Karl Minninger (1901-1976), an American psychiatrist and author who made significant contributions to the study of human behavior and the treatment of mental disorders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Minninger
Among Census respondents with the surname Minninger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Minninger 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 Minninger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 110
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Minninger
Minninger 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
-18 bearers (-13.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 23,811 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,353 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -18 bearers (-13.5%) | Down 23,811 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,353 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 Minninger 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 | #142,788 | 0.9% |
| Count | 115 | 119 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Minninger bearers went from 115 to 119 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,353 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #142,788.
FAQ
Minninger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Minninger?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Minninger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Minninger?
Minninger ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Minninger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Minninger.
Has Minninger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Minninger went from 115 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #144,141 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Minninger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Minninger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Minninger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Minninger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Black (0.8%). 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 Minninger (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 Minninger mean?
A surname derived from the German word "Minne" meaning "love" or "affection". 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 Minninger (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 are called Minninger?
For a quick modern take, check how many people are called Minninger on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.