2000
#6,333
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,954
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.84
Rare Last name
Poff
A Dutch occupational surname referring to a puffer, one who puffs or puff-dries fabric during production.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 5,559 Americans carry the last name Poff. That puts it at #6,692 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 61,658 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Poff 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
5.6K
1 in 61,658
Census rank
#6,692
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
4.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 4,848 bearers of the surname Poff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6692nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Poff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Poff
The surname POFF has its origins in Germany and dates back to the early medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Old German word "pof," which referred to a swollen or puffed-up state. The name may have been initially used as a descriptive nickname, perhaps referring to someone who had a puffed-up or inflated appearance.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name POFF can be found in a document from the 14th century, where a certain "Johannes Poff" is mentioned as a resident of the town of Mainz. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time. In later centuries, various spellings of the name appeared, such as "Poff," "Poffe," and "Poffen."
The POFF surname was particularly prevalent in the German states of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was often associated with certain localities or place names. For example, the town of Poffenbach in Bavaria may have derived its name from the POFF family or vice versa. Some notable individuals with this surname include Johann Poff (1568-1640), a German theologian and author, and Friedrich Poff (1773-1853), a Prussian military officer who served during the Napoleonic Wars.
In the 18th century, the POFF name began to spread beyond the borders of Germany, with families bearing this surname migrating to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. One notable bearer of the name was Carl Gottlieb Poff (1768-1834), a German immigrant to the United States who settled in Pennsylvania and became a successful businessman.
Another figure of historical significance was Wilhelm Poff (1858-1922), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the Flatiron Building and the Bowling Green Offices. His works played a significant role in shaping the city's iconic skyline during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the POFF surname is not among the most common in the world, it has a rich history that spans several centuries and can be traced back to its Germanic roots. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, military leaders, architects, and entrepreneurs, contributing to the cultural and historical tapestry of several nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Poff
Among Census respondents with the surname Poff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Poff 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 Poff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 4,491
- Two or more races3.3% · 160
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 134
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 34
- Black or African American0.5% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Poff
Poff 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
#6,725
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,021
+67 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.70
Rank movement Down 392 places
2020
#6,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,848
-173 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 1.62
Rank movement Up 33 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #6,333 | 4,954 | 1.84 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #6,725 | 5,021 | 1.70 | +67 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 392 places |
| 2020 | #6,692 | 4,848 | 1.62 | -173 bearers (-3.4%) | Up 33 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 Poff 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 | #6,725 | #6,692 | 0.5% |
| Count | 5,021 | 4,848 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 1.70 | 1.62 | -4.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Poff bearers went from 5,021 to 4,848 (-3.4% change). The surname moved up 33 positions in the national ranking, going from #6,725 to #6,692.
FAQ
Poff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Poff?
Name Census estimates that about 5,559 living Americans carry the surname Poff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 61,658 residents.
How common is Poff?
Poff ranks #6,692 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.62 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 4,848 people with the surname Poff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (5,559), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.62 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Poff.
Has Poff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Poff went from 5,021 recorded bearers to 4,848. That is a decrease of 173 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #6,725 to #6,692.
What does the Census say about the background of Poff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Poff, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.3%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Poff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (4,491 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Poff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.3%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Poff (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 Poff mean?
A Dutch occupational surname referring to a puffer, one who puffs or puff-dries fabric during production. 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 Poff (1.62 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 are called Poff?
You can see how many people have the last name Poff on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.