Find out how popular the last name Pelzer is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pelzer.

Pelzer, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pelzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pelzer in America

Pelzer is the 13845th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pelzer surname appeared 2,183 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Pelzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pelzer to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pelzer

The surname Pelzer originated in Germany during the late medieval period. It is derived from the German word "pelz," which means "fur" or "pelt." This suggests that the name was likely associated with someone who worked in the fur trade or the production of fur garments.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Pelzer can be found in the town of Lübeck, located in northern Germany, where a merchant named Johann Pelzer was listed in records from the 14th century. The name also appears in various historical documents from other regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony.

In the 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Pelzer was a prominent merchant and councilman in the city of Nuremberg. He is mentioned in several chronicles and municipal records from that time period.

During the 16th century, the Pelzer family became well-established in the Rhineland region of Germany. One notable member was Konrad Pelzer, a wealthy landowner and businessman who lived in Cologne from 1528 to 1596.

As the Pelzer family dispersed throughout different parts of Europe over the centuries, variations in spelling emerged, such as Peltzer, Pelzer, Peltser, and Peltscher. Some of these variations may have been influenced by local dialects or regional variations in pronunciation.

In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried Pelzer (1720-1792) was a renowned German composer and organist who served at the court of the Prussian King Frederick the Great.

Another notable figure with the surname Pelzer was Wilhelm Pelzer (1865-1934), a German painter and illustrator known for his depictions of rural life and landscapes. His works are held in various museums and private collections across Germany and Europe.

Overall, the surname Pelzer has a rich history rooted in medieval Germany, with connections to the fur trade, commerce, and the arts. While the name has evolved and spread across different regions, its origins can be traced back to the German word "pelz" and its association with the production and trade of fur garments.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pelzer

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pelzer.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pelzer was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pelzer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pelzer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pelzer, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!