2000
#126,400
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Pitsenberger
An occupational surname derived from the German words "Pitz" meaning "pitch" and "Berg" meaning "hill," likely referring to someone who lived or worked on a hill near tar pits.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Pitsenberger. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pitsenberger 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Pitsenberger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pitsenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pitsenberger
The surname Pitsenberger is of German origin, originating in the late 16th or early 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the German words "Pitze" meaning "peak" or "pointed hill," and "Berg" meaning "mountain" or "hill." The name likely referred to someone who lived near or worked on a pointed or peaked hill or mountain.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Pitsenberger can be found in various German records and manuscripts from the 17th century. One of the earliest known references is in the parish records of the town of Rottweil in the state of Baden-Württemberg, where a family by the name of Pitsenberger is mentioned in the year 1638.
In the 18th century, the name Pitsenberger appears in various records from the regions of Bavaria and Thuringia, indicating that the name had spread to different parts of Germany. One notable individual from this time period was Johann Pitsenberger (1712-1784), a skilled woodcarver and sculptor from the town of Schmalkalden in Thuringia.
As the 19th century dawned, the Pitsenberger name continued to be found across various German states and principalities. One prominent figure was Friedrich Pitsenberger (1801-1872), a successful businessman and landowner from the town of Würzburg in Bavaria. Another notable Pitsenberger was Theodor Pitsenberger (1835-1901), a respected educator and headmaster of a prestigious school in the city of Leipzig.
In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Pitsenberger name began to spread beyond Germany, as many members of the family emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One such individual was Hans Pitsenberger (1867-1945), a German-born engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early automobiles in the United States.
Another notable Pitsenberger from this era was Helene Pitsenberger (1895-1978), a German-American artist and sculptor who gained recognition for her intricate wood carvings and sculptures depicting scenes from everyday life in rural Germany.
While the Pitsenberger name has its roots firmly planted in German soil, it has since spread across the globe, with descendants of the original Pitsenberger families now found in various parts of the world. However, the name's rich history and connection to the rugged landscapes of Germany remain an integral part of its heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pitsenberger
Among Census respondents with the surname Pitsenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Pitsenberger 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 Pitsenberger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White83.8% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino6.7% · 7
- Two or more races5.7% · 6
- Black or African American2.9% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pitsenberger
Pitsenberger 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
#128,249
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
+8 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 1,849 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-28 bearers (-21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 24,740 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #126,400 | 125 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #128,249 | 133 | 0.05 | +8 bearers (+6.4%) | Down 1,849 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -28 bearers (-21.1%) | Down 24,740 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 Pitsenberger 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 | #128,249 | #152,989 | -19.3% |
| Count | 133 | 105 | -21.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -29.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pitsenberger bearers went from 133 to 105 (-21.1% change). The surname moved down 24,740 positions in the national ranking, going from #128,249 to #152,989.
FAQ
Pitsenberger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pitsenberger?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Pitsenberger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Pitsenberger?
Pitsenberger ranks #152,989 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 105 people with the surname Pitsenberger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Pitsenberger.
Has Pitsenberger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pitsenberger went from 133 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 28 (-21.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #128,249 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Pitsenberger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pitsenberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 83.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.7%) and Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Pitsenberger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 83.8% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pitsenberger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (83.8%), Hispanic (6.7%), Two or More Races (5.7%). 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 Pitsenberger (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 Pitsenberger mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German words "Pitz" meaning "pitch" and "Berg" meaning "hill," likely referring to someone who lived or worked on a hill near tar pits. 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 Pitsenberger (0.04 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 share the surname Pitsenberger?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.