2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Preminger
A German surname derived from the word "prämieren" meaning "to award a prize".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 141 Americans carry the last name Preminger. That puts it at #139,785 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,430,882 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Preminger 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
141
1 in 2,430,882
Census rank
#139,785
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
123
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 123 bearers of the surname Preminger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 139785th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Preminger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Preminger
The surname Preminger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, where it was likely derived from the German word "Prem," which referred to a river or stream. This suggests that the name may have initially been a locational surname, indicating that the family lived near a particular river or stream.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Preminger name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various spellings, such as "Preminger," "Premingere," and "Premingerius," indicating the fluidity of surname spellings during that era.
During the 16th century, the Preminger name gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, which was a center of trade and cultural exchange in the Holy Roman Empire. Records from this period mention several notable individuals bearing the Preminger surname, including Johannes Preminger (1505-1572), a respected merchant and member of the city council.
In the 18th century, the Preminger family expanded its reach beyond Bavaria, with members settling in various regions of Germany and Austria. One notable figure from this era was Georg Preminger (1720-1797), a prominent theologian and author who served as a professor at the University of Vienna.
As the Preminger family continued to grow and disperse throughout Europe, several individuals made significant contributions to various fields. One such individual was Otto Preminger (1905-1986), an Austrian-American film director and producer who is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in Hollywood's Golden Age. His films, including "Laura" (1944) and "Anatomy of a Murder" (1959), explored controversial themes and challenged societal norms.
Another noteworthy Preminger was Aron Preminger (1865-1923), a Russian-born playwright and writer who was active in the Yiddish theater scene in New York City during the early 20th century. His works, such as "The Promised Land" and "The Eternal Wanderer," explored themes of Jewish identity and the immigrant experience.
While the surname Preminger has its roots in medieval Germany, it has since spread across the globe, with bearers of the name making their mark in various fields, from literature and academia to the arts and entertainment industry.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Preminger
Among Census respondents with the surname Preminger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Preminger 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 Preminger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 114
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 5
- Black or African American1.6% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Preminger
Preminger 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
#132,206
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
-3 bearers (-2.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,426 places
2020
#139,785
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 123
-5 bearers (-3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,579 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #132,206 | 128 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.3%) | Down 10,426 places |
| 2020 | #139,785 | 123 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.9%) | Down 7,579 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 Preminger 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 | #132,206 | #139,785 | -5.7% |
| Count | 128 | 123 | -3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Preminger bearers went from 128 to 123 (-3.9% change). The surname moved down 7,579 positions in the national ranking, going from #132,206 to #139,785.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Preminger
FAQ
Preminger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Preminger?
Name Census estimates that about 141 living Americans carry the surname Preminger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,430,882 residents.
How common is Preminger?
Preminger ranks #139,785 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 123 people with the surname Preminger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (141), 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 Preminger.
Has Preminger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Preminger went from 128 recorded bearers to 123. That is a decrease of 5 (-3.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #132,206 to #139,785.
What does the Census say about the background of Preminger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Preminger, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Black (1.6%). 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 Preminger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (114 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Preminger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (4.1%), Black (1.6%). 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 Preminger (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 Preminger mean?
A German surname derived from the word "prämieren" meaning "to award a prize". 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 Preminger (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 common is the surname Preminger?
Find out how common the surname Preminger is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.