2000
#14,951
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,814
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.67
Rare Last name
Noffsinger
A German surname derived from a location name, possibly related to a watercourse.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,084 Americans carry the last name Noffsinger. That puts it at #15,514 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 164,469 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noffsinger 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
2.1K
1 in 164,469
Census rank
#15,514
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,817 bearers of the surname Noffsinger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15514th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noffsinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noffsinger
The surname Noffsinger originated in Germany, likely in the early 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "noffe," which means small or short, and the word "singer," referring to a person who sings. Therefore, Noffsinger may have initially referred to a person of small stature who was a singer.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Noffsinger appears in a parish register from the town of Aachen, located in the western region of Germany, near the border with Belgium and the Netherlands. This record dates back to the year 1534 and mentions a certain Hans Noffsinger, who was a local musician.
In the 17th century, the Noffsinger surname began to appear in various church records and legal documents across different parts of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. This suggests that the name had spread and become more widespread during this time period.
A notable individual with the Noffsinger surname was Johann Noffsinger (1638-1712), a German composer and organist who was born in the town of Heldburg, Thuringia. He is remembered for his contributions to the development of baroque music in Germany.
Another historically significant Noffsinger was Friedrich Noffsinger (1788-1868), a German politician and lawyer who served as a member of the Landtag (state parliament) of Baden-Württemberg in the mid-19th century. He was known for his advocacy of liberal reforms and civil rights.
In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, many Germans with the surname Noffsinger immigrated to the United States, settling in areas like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. One of the earliest recorded Noffsingers in America was Jacob Noffsinger (1760-1834), who was born in Germany and later settled in Pennsylvania.
Another notable American Noffsinger was Charles Noffsinger (1855-1920), a businessman and philanthropist from Ohio who made his fortune in the oil industry. He was known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions and cultural organizations.
Over the centuries, the surname Noffsinger has undergone various spelling variations, such as Noffsinger, Noffzinger, Noffzinger, and Noffziger, reflecting regional dialects and differences in written records. Despite these variations, the name's origins can be traced back to its German roots and the original meaning associated with a person's physical stature and musical abilities.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noffsinger
Among Census respondents with the surname Noffsinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Noffsinger 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 Noffsinger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 1,683
- Two or more races3.1% · 56
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 46
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 17
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 12
- Black or African American0.2% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noffsinger
Noffsinger 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
#15,777
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,847
+33 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Down 826 places
2020
#15,514
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,817
-30 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.61
Rank movement Up 263 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,951 | 1,814 | 0.67 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,777 | 1,847 | 0.63 | +33 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 826 places |
| 2020 | #15,514 | 1,817 | 0.61 | -30 bearers (-1.6%) | Up 263 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 Noffsinger 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 | #15,777 | #15,514 | 1.7% |
| Count | 1,847 | 1,817 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.63 | 0.61 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noffsinger bearers went from 1,847 to 1,817 (-1.6% change). The surname moved up 263 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,777 to #15,514.
FAQ
Noffsinger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noffsinger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,084 living Americans carry the surname Noffsinger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 164,469 residents.
How common is Noffsinger?
Noffsinger ranks #15,514 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.61 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,817 people with the surname Noffsinger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,084), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.61 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.61 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Noffsinger.
Has Noffsinger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noffsinger went from 1,847 recorded bearers to 1,817. That is a decrease of 30 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,777 to #15,514.
What does the Census say about the background of Noffsinger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noffsinger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.1%) and Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Noffsinger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (1,683 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noffsinger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.1%), Hispanic (2.5%). 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 Noffsinger (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 Noffsinger mean?
A German surname derived from a location name, possibly related to a watercourse. 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 Noffsinger (0.61 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 Noffsinger?
See how many people have the surname Noffsinger on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.