2000
#42,134
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 485
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.18
Very Rare Last name
Preisler
A German surname derived from the occupation of a tax appraiser or assessor.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 642 Americans carry the last name Preisler. That puts it at #41,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 533,885 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Preisler 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
642
1 in 533,885
Census rank
#41,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
560
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 560 bearers of the surname Preisler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 41826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Preisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Preisler
The surname Preisler is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated from the Middle High German word "brîs," which referred to a braid or twist. This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname for a maker of braids, ropes, or similar twisted goods.
The earliest known record of the name Preisler dates back to 1369 in the town of Nürnberg, where a certain Johann Preisler was mentioned in a local document. During this period, the name was also found in various spellings, such as Preissler, Preiseler, and Preysler.
In the 16th century, the Preisler family gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, where they were involved in the city's thriving metalworking industry. One notable figure was Hans Preisler (1542-1612), a skilled goldsmith and engraver who created intricate works for the local nobility.
As the name spread across German-speaking regions, it was also associated with several notable individuals. Johann Daniel Preisler (1666-1737) was a renowned painter and engraver from Nuremberg, renowned for his portraits and religious works. His son, Johann Justin Preisler (1698-1768), followed in his footsteps as a notable painter and engraver in Dresden.
The Preisler name also gained recognition in the field of architecture. Johann Georg Preisler (1757-1835) was a prominent architect in Vienna, known for his work on several churches and public buildings in the city.
In the 19th century, Johann Preisler (1811-1879) was a notable German-American educator and author who made significant contributions to the field of pedagogy in the United States.
Throughout history, the Preisler name has been associated with various professions, from artisans and craftsmen to intellectuals and professionals, reflecting the diverse paths taken by those who bear this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Preisler
Among Census respondents with the surname Preisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Preisler 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 Preisler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.8% · 531
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 15
- Two or more races2.1% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Preisler
Preisler 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
#53,913
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 383
-102 bearers (-21.0%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Down 11,779 places
2020
#41,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 560
+177 bearers (+46.2%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 12,087 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #42,134 | 485 | 0.18 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #53,913 | 383 | 0.13 | -102 bearers (-21.0%) | Down 11,779 places |
| 2020 | #41,826 | 560 | 0.19 | +177 bearers (+46.2%) | Up 12,087 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 Preisler 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 | #53,913 | #41,826 | 22.4% |
| Count | 383 | 560 | 46.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.19 | 44.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Preisler bearers went from 383 to 560 (+46.2% change). The surname moved up 12,087 positions in the national ranking, going from #53,913 to #41,826.
FAQ
Preisler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Preisler?
Name Census estimates that about 642 living Americans carry the surname Preisler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 533,885 residents.
How common is Preisler?
Preisler ranks #41,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 560 people with the surname Preisler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (642), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Preisler.
Has Preisler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Preisler went from 383 recorded bearers to 560. That is an increase of 177 (+46.2%). In the national ranking it rose from #53,913 to #41,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Preisler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Preisler, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Preisler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.8% (531 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Preisler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.8%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Preisler (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 Preisler mean?
A German surname derived from the occupation of a tax appraiser or assessor. 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 Preisler (0.19 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 surname Preisler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.