2000
#48,196
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 412
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.15
Very Rare Last name
Nuhfer
An occupational surname derived from the German word "nufer" meaning "miner" or "quarryman".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 541 Americans carry the last name Nuhfer. That puts it at #48,348 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.16 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 633,557 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nuhfer 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
541
1 in 633,557
Census rank
#48,348
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
472
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 472 bearers of the surname Nuhfer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.16 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 48348th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nuhfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nuhfer
The surname Nuhfer originated in Germany, with its earliest records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "nuefer," which means "new farmer" or someone who has recently started farming.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Nuhfer can be found in the town records of Wittenberg, Germany, from the year 1567. The name appears as "Nuefer," which was likely the original spelling before it evolved into its current form.
In the 17th century, the Nuhfer family is mentioned in several church records from the Rhineland region of Germany. These records indicate that the family had established roots in the towns of Cologne and Bonn during this period.
During the 18th century, the Nuhfer name spread across various parts of Germany, with records showing families residing in Bavaria, Saxony, and Hesse. One notable individual from this time was Johann Nuhfer, a prominent merchant from Frankfurt, born in 1712.
As the 19th century dawned, the Nuhfer family began to migrate to other parts of Europe and beyond. In 1823, a family by the name of Nuhfer settled in the town of Odessa, located in present-day Ukraine, which was then part of the Russian Empire.
Another notable figure was Hans Nuhfer, a German-born writer and philosopher who lived from 1845 to 1912. His works explored themes of nature, spirituality, and the human condition.
In the late 19th century, several Nuhfer families made their way to the United States, settling in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Indiana. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in America was that of Wilhelm Nuhfer, who arrived in Philadelphia in 1876.
The 20th century saw the Nuhfer name continue to spread across various parts of the world, with families establishing roots in countries like Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nuhfer
Among Census respondents with the surname Nuhfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Nuhfer 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 Nuhfer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 435
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 21
- Two or more races2.8% · 13
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nuhfer
Nuhfer 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
#45,959
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 464
+52 bearers (+12.6%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Up 2,237 places
2020
#48,348
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 472
+8 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.16
Rank movement Down 2,389 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #48,196 | 412 | 0.15 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #45,959 | 464 | 0.16 | +52 bearers (+12.6%) | Up 2,237 places |
| 2020 | #48,348 | 472 | 0.16 | +8 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 2,389 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 Nuhfer 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 | #45,959 | #48,348 | -5.2% |
| Count | 464 | 472 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.16 | 0.16 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nuhfer bearers went from 464 to 472 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 2,389 positions in the national ranking, going from #45,959 to #48,348.
FAQ
Nuhfer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nuhfer?
Name Census estimates that about 541 living Americans carry the surname Nuhfer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 633,557 residents.
How common is Nuhfer?
Nuhfer ranks #48,348 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.16 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 472 people with the surname Nuhfer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (541), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.16 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.16 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 Nuhfer.
Has Nuhfer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nuhfer went from 464 recorded bearers to 472. That is an increase of 8 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #45,959 to #48,348.
What does the Census say about the background of Nuhfer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nuhfer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.4%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Nuhfer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (435 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nuhfer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Hispanic (4.4%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Nuhfer (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 Nuhfer mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word "nufer" meaning "miner" or "quarryman". 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 Nuhfer (0.16 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 Americans have the surname Nuhfer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.