2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Nortrup
An English topographic surname derived from a location or village name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Nortrup. 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 Nortrup 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 Nortrup 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 Nortrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nortrup
The surname Nortrup is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of Germany during the medieval period. The name is derived from the Old German words "nord" meaning "north" and "trup" meaning "troop" or "group," potentially referring to a group or settlement located in the northern parts of the region.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nortrup can be found in the Codex Traditionum Westfalicarum, a medieval manuscript from the 9th century, which documents land transactions and property ownership in the region of Westphalia, Germany. The name appears in reference to a landowner named Gerhard Nortrup, suggesting the name's presence in the area during that time.
In the 12th century, the name Nortrup is mentioned in connection with a noble family from the town of Nortrup, located in the present-day state of Lower Saxony, Germany. This town likely took its name from the family, further solidifying the surname's origins in the northern German regions.
One notable individual bearing the surname Nortrup was Johann Nortrup, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1556 to 1624. He was a prominent figure in the Reformation movement and served as a professor of theology at the University of Helmstedt.
Another historical figure was Wilhelm Nortrup, a German military officer who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). He was born in 1590 and served as a captain in the army of the Holy Roman Empire.
In the 18th century, the name Nortrup is associated with a family of merchants and traders based in the city of Hamburg, Germany. One member of this family, Hans Nortrup (1727-1801), was a successful businessperson who established trade routes across Europe.
During the 19th century, the surname Nortrup can be found in various records from the northern German states, indicating its continued presence in the region. One notable individual from this period was Friedrich Nortrup (1821-1895), a German author and playwright who wrote several works depicting life in rural northern Germany.
Throughout its history, the surname Nortrup has maintained its roots in the northern regions of Germany, with various branches and families contributing to its legacy across different fields, from military service to academia and literature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nortrup
Among Census respondents with the surname Nortrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Nortrup 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 Nortrup surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.1% · 112
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nortrup
Nortrup 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
-7 bearers (-5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,654 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,076 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.3%) | Down 13,654 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 8,076 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 Nortrup 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 | #134,712 | #142,788 | -6.0% |
| Count | 125 | 119 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nortrup bearers went from 125 to 119 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 8,076 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #142,788.
FAQ
Nortrup surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nortrup?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Nortrup. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Nortrup?
Nortrup 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 Nortrup. 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 Nortrup.
Has Nortrup become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nortrup went from 125 recorded bearers to 119. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Nortrup?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nortrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.5%) and Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Nortrup in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nortrup 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 (2.5%), Hispanic (1.7%). 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 Nortrup (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 Nortrup mean?
An English topographic surname derived from a location or village name. 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 Nortrup (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 share the surname Nortrup?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.