2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pfledderer
A German surname derived from the occupation of making arrows or feathers.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Pfledderer. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pfledderer 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Pfledderer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pfledderer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pfledderer
The surname Pfledderer is of German origin, and it is believed to have originated in the southern regions of Germany, particularly in Bavaria and neighboring areas, during the Middle Ages.
The name Pfledderer is derived from the German word "pfleder," which means a type of thin, lightweight fabric or material. It is speculated that the name may have initially referred to individuals who were involved in the production, trade, or handling of this particular fabric, perhaps as weavers, merchants, or tailors.
Historically, surnames often originated from occupations, and the name Pfledderer could have been a descriptive name given to individuals engaged in the textile industry, specifically related to the pfleder fabric.
While there are no definitive records of the earliest use of the name Pfledderer, it is possible that it appeared in local town records or guild documents from the 14th or 15th century, when the practice of adopting hereditary surnames became more widespread in Germany.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname Pfledderer was Hans Pfledderer, a merchant from Augsburg, who lived in the late 15th century. Records indicate that he was involved in the textile trade and played a significant role in the city's economic affairs.
Another notable figure was Johann Pfledderer, a Lutheran theologian and scholar who lived in the 16th century (c. 1530-1604). He was born in Nuremberg and served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg, where he made contributions to the field of theology and religious studies.
In the 17th century, Georg Pfledderer (1630-1692) was a prominent figure in the city of Ulm. He held the position of a city councilor and was involved in the administration and governance of the city during a period of economic and political upheaval.
The name Pfledderer also appears in historical records from the 18th century, with Johann Michael Pfledderer (1720-1782) being a renowned sculptor and woodcarver from Oberammergau, Bavaria. His works can be found in various churches and private collections in the region.
In the 19th century, Karl Pfledderer (1819-1895) was a German artist and painter known for his landscape and genre paintings. He studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich and his works were exhibited in various galleries and exhibitions across Europe.
While the surname Pfledderer may have originated from a specific occupation or trade, over time, it has become a widespread family name across Germany and other parts of Europe, with individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions carrying this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pfledderer
Among Census respondents with the surname Pfledderer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Pfledderer 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 Pfledderer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.1% · 98
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pfledderer
Pfledderer appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-7 bearers (-6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 4,303 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.4%) | Down 4,303 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 Pfledderer 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 | #150,452 | #154,755 | -2.9% |
| Count | 109 | 102 | -6.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pfledderer bearers went from 109 to 102 (-6.4% change). The surname moved down 4,303 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #154,755.
FAQ
Pfledderer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pfledderer?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Pfledderer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Pfledderer?
Pfledderer ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Pfledderer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Pfledderer.
Has Pfledderer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pfledderer went from 109 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Pfledderer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pfledderer, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.1%. The next largest groups are Black (2.9%) and Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Pfledderer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.1% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pfledderer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.1%), Black (2.9%), Two or More Races (1.0%). 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 Pfledderer (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 Pfledderer mean?
A German surname derived from the occupation of making arrows or feathers. 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 Pfledderer (0.03 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 common is the surname Pfledderer?
If you just want to know how common the surname Pfledderer is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.