2000
#140,756
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Noftle
A topographic surname referring to someone living near a nook or corner.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Noftle. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noftle 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Noftle in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noftle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noftle
The surname NOFTLE is believed to have originated in northern Germany during the late medieval period, likely around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "nofel," which referred to a small, rounded hill or mound. This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a descriptive name to someone who lived near or on a small hill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the NOFTLE surname can be found in the Hanseatic League records from the city of Lübeck, dated around 1376. These records mention a merchant named Heinrich Noftle, suggesting that the name was already established in that region by the 14th century.
In the 15th century, there are references to a family of NOFTLE artisans and craftsmen in the town of Hildesheim, in what is now Lower Saxony, Germany. Records from the local guilds mention several generations of NOFTLE woodcarvers and cabinetmakers, indicating that the name had become associated with a particular trade in that area.
As the NOFTLE surname spread across northern Europe, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Nöftle, Nöfftele, and Noftelius. One notable figure from this period was Johann Noftelius (1537-1612), a Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Rostock in northern Germany.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, as emigration from Europe to the Americas increased, the NOFTLE surname began to appear in colonial records in North America. One of the earliest documented instances is that of Hans Noftle, who arrived in Pennsylvania from the Palatinate region of Germany in 1732.
Another notable bearer of the NOFTLE name was Wilhelm Noftle (1802-1879), a German-born artist and engraver who settled in New York City in the mid-19th century and became known for his intricate engravings of city landscapes and architectural scenes.
As the NOFTLE surname spread and evolved over time, it has maintained its association with regions of northern Germany, particularly Lower Saxony and the areas around the cities of Hildesheim and Lübeck. While not a particularly common surname, it has left its mark on the history and culture of these regions through the contributions of individuals who bore this name over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noftle
Among Census respondents with the surname Noftle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Noftle 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 Noftle surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 96
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noftle
Noftle 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
#154,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 14,151 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-3 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #140,756 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #154,907 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 14,151 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -3 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 152 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 Noftle 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 | #154,907 | #154,755 | 0.1% |
| Count | 105 | 102 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noftle bearers went from 105 to 102 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 152 positions in the national ranking, going from #154,907 to #154,755.
FAQ
Noftle surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noftle?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Noftle. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Noftle?
Noftle ranks #154,755 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 102 people with the surname Noftle. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), 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 Noftle.
Has Noftle become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noftle went from 105 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #154,907 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Noftle?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noftle, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Noftle in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noftle appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.1%), Two or More Races (2.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Noftle (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 Noftle mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone living near a nook or corner. 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 Noftle (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 share the surname Noftle?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.