2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Pfleider
Of German origin, a habitational name for someone from a place called Pfleider.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Pfleider. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pfleider 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Pfleider in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pfleider, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.5%) and Two or More Races (8.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pfleider
The surname Pfleider has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "Pfleider," which means "clothing" or "garment." This suggests that the name may have been originally associated with individuals who worked in the textile industry or were involved in the production or sale of clothing.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Pfleider can be found in the records of the town of Augsburg, located in the German state of Bavaria. In the year 1568, a document mentions a certain Hans Pfleider, who was a tailor by trade. This provides evidence that the name was already in use during the late medieval period and was likely connected to the occupation of clothing-making.
In the 17th century, the Pfleider surname appeared in various regions of Germany, including Saxony and Brandenburg. There are records of a Johannes Pfleider, born in 1625 in the town of Wittenberg, who was a notable scholar and theologian. Another notable figure was Christoph Pfleider, a merchant from Leipzig who lived from 1678 to 1742 and was known for his success in the textile trade.
As the centuries passed, the Pfleider name spread across different parts of Germany and beyond. In the 19th century, there are records of a family named Pfleider residing in the city of Cologne. One member of this family, Wilhelm Pfleider (1828-1903), was a renowned architect who designed several notable buildings in the city, including the Cologne Cathedral Library.
Another individual of note was Carl Pfleider (1855-1932), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Pfleider Machinery Company in Dresden. His company was known for producing high-quality textile machinery and contributed significantly to the development of the textile industry in Germany.
During the 20th century, the Pfleider surname continued to be present in various parts of Europe. One notable figure was Hans Pfleider (1908-1985), a German artist and sculptor who was known for his avant-garde works and participated in several influential art movements of the time.
While the surname Pfleider is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and is closely tied to the textile industry and various occupations related to clothing and garments. The name serves as a testament to the diverse backgrounds and professions of those who have carried it throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pfleider
Among Census respondents with the surname Pfleider, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.5%) and Two or More Races (8.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pfleider 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 Pfleider surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White71.8% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander17.5% · 18
- Two or more races8.7% · 9
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pfleider
Pfleider 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
#135,593
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
+13 bearers (+11.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,148 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-21 bearers (-16.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,589 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #135,593 | 124 | 0.04 | +13 bearers (+11.7%) | Up 3,148 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-16.9%) | Down 18,589 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 Pfleider 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 | #135,593 | #154,182 | -13.7% |
| Count | 124 | 103 | -16.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pfleider bearers went from 124 to 103 (-16.9% change). The surname moved down 18,589 positions in the national ranking, going from #135,593 to #154,182.
FAQ
Pfleider surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pfleider?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Pfleider. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Pfleider?
Pfleider ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Pfleider. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Pfleider.
Has Pfleider become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pfleider went from 124 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #135,593 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Pfleider?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pfleider, the largest self-reported group is White at 71.8%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (17.5%) and Two or More Races (8.7%). 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 Pfleider in the 2020 Census, accounting for 71.8% (74 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pfleider appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (71.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (17.5%), Two or More Races (8.7%). 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 Pfleider (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 Pfleider mean?
Of German origin, a habitational name for someone from a place called Pfleider. 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 Pfleider (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 many people have the last name Pfleider?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Pfleider? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.