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

Pfister, 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 Pfister surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pfister in America

Pfister is the 6283rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pfister surname appeared 5,441 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Pfister.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pfister 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 Pfister

The surname Pfister is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "pfister," which means "baker" or "baker's assistant." This occupational surname emerged in the Middle Ages, typically bestowed upon individuals who worked as bakers or in related professions within the baking trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the Pfister surname can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern regions such as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name was also prevalent in areas with substantial German-speaking populations, including parts of modern-day Austria and Switzerland.

One of the earliest known references to the Pfister surname appears in the Deutsches Rechtswörterbuch (German Legal Dictionary) from the year 1295, where it is listed as a common occupational surname associated with bakers and their assistants.

The name Pfister is derived from the Old High German word "pfistari," which evolved into the Middle High German "pfister" and ultimately became the modern German word "Bäcker" (baker). The spelling variations of the surname include Pfister, Pfyster, Pfister, and Pfyster, among others.

Notable individuals with the Pfister surname throughout history include:

1. Albrecht Pfister (c. 1420-1466), a renowned German printer and publisher who operated in Bamberg, Germany, and is considered one of the pioneers of the printing industry in Europe.

2. Johann Christian Pfister (1772-1835), a German theologian and educator who served as the principal of the Evangelical Seminary in Schöntal, Württemberg.

3. Oskar Pfister (1873-1956), a Swiss theologian and psychoanalyst who collaborated closely with Sigmund Freud and made significant contributions to the field of psychoanalysis.

4. Bernhard Pfister (1860-1945), a German painter and illustrator known for his landscapes and genre scenes depicting rural life in Bavaria.

5. Gerhard Pfister (born 1939), a German chess player and author who achieved the title of International Master and wrote several books on chess strategy and tactics.

While the name Pfister is primarily associated with Germany and German-speaking regions, it has also spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration patterns over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pfister

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

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 Pfister 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 Pfister 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 Pfister was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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