2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Mitsdarffer
A German surname derived from a place name referring to someone from a locality called Mitsdarff.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Mitsdarffer. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Mitsdarffer 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Mitsdarffer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitsdarffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Mitsdarffer
The surname MITSDARFFER is of German origin, with its earliest records dating back to the 16th century in the southern regions of Germany. The name is believed to derive from the Old German words "mitz" and "darfer," which together translate to "one who lives near the border or at the edge of a village." This suggests that the surname may have originated from a family or individual who lived on the outskirts of a settlement.
One of the earliest documented instances of the MITSDARFFER name can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of the town of Augsburg, Bavaria, where a Hans MITSDARFFER is listed as a resident in the year 1587. During this period, the spelling of the name varied, with alternative forms such as "Mitzdorffer" and "Mitzdarfer" appearing in various records.
In the 17th century, the MITSDARFFER name gained prominence with the birth of Johannes MITSDARFFER (1612-1687), a renowned Lutheran theologian and author from Nuremberg. His works, which included treatises on theology and biblical exegesis, were widely circulated and influential within the Protestant community of the time.
Another notable figure bearing the MITSDARFFER name was Wilhelm MITSDARFFER (1768-1842), a German artist and engraver from Ansbach. His intricate copper engravings and etchings depicting landscapes and architectural scenes were highly regarded during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The name MITSDARFFER also found its way into the annals of German military history with the exploits of Friedrich MITSDARFFER (1822-1901), a Prussian general who fought in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866 and the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71. His distinguished service earned him the prestigious Pour le Mérite, the highest military order of the Kingdom of Prussia.
In the realm of literature, the MITSDARFFER name is associated with Elise MITSDARFFER (1855-1928), a German novelist and essayist from Stuttgart. Her works, which often explored themes of social justice and women's rights, garnered critical acclaim and contributed to the burgeoning feminist movement of her time.
While the MITSDARFFER surname originated in Germany, it gradually spread to other parts of Europe and beyond through migration and immigration patterns over the centuries. However, its roots remain firmly planted in the southern German regions, where the earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 16th century.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Mitsdarffer
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitsdarffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Mitsdarffer 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 Mitsdarffer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino5.8% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Mitsdarffer
Mitsdarffer 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,711 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-5 bearers (-4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 3,138 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,711 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -5 bearers (-4.6%) | Down 3,138 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 Mitsdarffer 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 | #150,452 | #153,590 | -2.1% |
| Count | 109 | 104 | -4.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Mitsdarffer bearers went from 109 to 104 (-4.6% change). The surname moved down 3,138 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #153,590.
FAQ
Mitsdarffer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Mitsdarffer?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Mitsdarffer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Mitsdarffer?
Mitsdarffer ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Mitsdarffer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Mitsdarffer.
Has Mitsdarffer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Mitsdarffer went from 109 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Mitsdarffer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Mitsdarffer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Mitsdarffer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Mitsdarffer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (5.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.9%). 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 Mitsdarffer (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 Mitsdarffer mean?
A German surname derived from a place name referring to someone from a locality called Mitsdarff. 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 Mitsdarffer (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 last name Mitsdarffer?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Mitsdarffer on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.