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

Phyfer, 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 Phyfer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Phyfer in America

Phyfer is the 140157th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Phyfer surname appeared 119 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Phyfer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Phyfer 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 Phyfer

The surname Phyfer is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "pfiffer," which means "piper" or "player of the pipe." This name likely originated in the late 12th or early 13th century when surnames began to emerge in German-speaking regions of Europe.

One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Biberach Archives, which mentions a "Cunrat der Pfiffer" in 1289. This entry suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname, referring to someone who played the pipe or other musical instruments.

The surname eventually spread beyond its initial area of origin, and variations in spelling emerged over time. Some of the earliest known spellings include Pyffer, Pfeffer, and Pfeiffer, which appeared in various German records and documents from the 13th to the 15th centuries.

In the late 15th century, a notable figure named Hans Phyfer (c. 1480 - 1542) was a prominent musician and composer in the city of Augsburg. His works included several religious compositions and secular songs, and he is considered one of the earliest documented musicians with this surname.

Another individual of historical significance was Johann Phyfer (1565 - 1628), a German Lutheran theologian and author who served as a pastor in Nürnberg. His published works include several treatises on religious topics and commentaries on biblical texts.

In the 17th century, the name appeared in various records in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, including mentions of a Peter Phyfer (b. 1632) from the town of Maulbronn and a Hans Phyfer (b. 1648) from Pforzheim.

As the surname spread across Europe, it also found its way to other regions, including the Netherlands and England. In the Netherlands, the name was sometimes rendered as "Pijfer" or "Pyfer," while in England, it was often anglicized to "Pifer" or "Pyfer."

One notable English bearer of this surname was Sir William Pyfer (1670 - 1743), a wealthy merchant and landowner from London who served as a member of Parliament and was knighted for his contributions to the city's trade and commerce.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Phyfer

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

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

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

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