2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Panzner
A surname originating from Germany and possibly relating to work involving armor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 134 Americans carry the last name Panzner. That puts it at #144,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,557,868 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Panzner 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
134
1 in 2,557,868
Census rank
#144,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
117
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 117 bearers of the surname Panzner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 144270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Panzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Panzner
The surname Panzner is of German origin, with roots tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the German word "Panzner," meaning an armor maker or someone involved in the production of body armor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Panzner can be found in the Bavarian town of Nuremberg, where a certain Konrad Panzner was mentioned in a municipal record from the year 1378. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the area by the 14th century.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Panzner was Hans Panzner (1492-1567), a prominent goldsmith and metalworker from Augsburg, Bavaria. His intricate craftsmanship and artistic skills were highly sought after by the nobility and wealthy patrons of the time.
Another individual of historical significance was Johann Panzner (1623-1677), a Lutheran theologian and scholar from Saxony. He authored several religious texts and served as a professor at the University of Leipzig, contributing to the intellectual discourse of his era.
During the 18th century, the Panzner name appeared in various records across German-speaking regions. One such mention was of a certain Georg Panzner (1714-1789), a vintner and landowner from the Rheingau wine-growing region, renowned for his exceptional vineyards and wine production.
As the surname spread beyond its original Bavarian roots, it was also found in other parts of Germany and neighboring countries. In the 19th century, a notable figure was Karl Panzner (1820-1891), a German-American engineer and inventor who contributed significantly to the development of early industrial machinery and manufacturing processes.
Throughout its history, the Panzner name has been associated with various professions and occupations, ranging from artisans and craftsmen to scholars and entrepreneurs. While its origins can be traced back to the armor-making trade in medieval Bavaria, the name has since evolved and dispersed across different regions and cultures.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Panzner
Among Census respondents with the surname Panzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Panzner 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 Panzner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 108
- Two or more races4.3% · 5
- Black or African American2.6% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Panzner
Panzner 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+11 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,066 places
2020
#144,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
-9 bearers (-7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,407 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 1,066 places |
| 2020 | #144,270 | 117 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-7.1%) | Down 10,407 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 Panzner 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 | #133,863 | #144,270 | -7.8% |
| Count | 126 | 117 | -7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -2.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Panzner bearers went from 126 to 117 (-7.1% change). The surname moved down 10,407 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #144,270.
FAQ
Panzner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Panzner?
Name Census estimates that about 134 living Americans carry the surname Panzner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,557,868 residents.
How common is Panzner?
Panzner ranks #144,270 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 117 people with the surname Panzner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (134), 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 Panzner.
Has Panzner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Panzner went from 126 recorded bearers to 117. That is a decrease of 9 (-7.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #144,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Panzner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Panzner, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.3%) and Black (2.6%). 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 Panzner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (108 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Panzner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (4.3%), Black (2.6%). 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 Panzner (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 Panzner mean?
A surname originating from Germany and possibly relating to work involving armor. 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 Panzner (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 Americans have the surname Panzner?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.