2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Puffinberger
A Germanic surname derived from the components "puffin" and "berg," potentially referring to a person from a hill or town associated with puffins.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Puffinberger. 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 Puffinberger 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 Puffinberger 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 Puffinberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Puffinberger
The surname Puffinberger is believed to have originated in the German regions of central Europe during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to have derived from a combination of the Low German words "puffin" or "puffen," meaning to puff or swell, and "berger," referring to someone living near a hill or mountain.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Bräuninger Codex, a 14th-century manuscript from the Swabian region of Germany, which mentions a "Hans Puffinberger" among a list of local landowners. The name is also believed to have been present in various historical records from the Rhineland area during the 15th and 16th centuries.
In the late 16th century, a family by the name of Puffinberger is said to have settled in the town of Ellwangen, in what is now the state of Baden-Württemberg, where they established a successful brewing business. One notable member of this family was Johann Puffinberger (1585-1648), a respected member of the local guild and a prominent figure in the town's affairs.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Margaretha Puffinberger (1621-1689), a midwife and herbalist from the village of Oberstadion in Bavaria, who was widely renowned for her knowledge of traditional remedies and her skilled assistance in childbirth.
In the 18th century, a branch of the Puffinberger family migrated to the Alsace region of France, where they adopted the French spelling "Puffenberger." One notable member of this branch was Pierre Puffenberger (1732-1802), a successful merchant and landowner in the town of Colmar.
The name Puffinberger also appears in various historical records from Austria and Switzerland, suggesting that it may have spread across various German-speaking regions during the medieval and early modern periods. For example, there is a record of a Hans Puffinberger (1678-1754), a master carpenter from the Swiss canton of Bern, who was renowned for his intricate woodcarvings and architectural designs.
While the surname Puffinberger is relatively uncommon today, it has left a lasting imprint on the historical and cultural landscape of central Europe, reflecting the diverse origins and narratives that have shaped the region's rich heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puffinberger
Among Census respondents with the surname Puffinberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Puffinberger 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 Puffinberger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 98
- Two or more races6.7% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puffinberger
Puffinberger 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-4 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,775 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-10 bearers (-8.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,848 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 12,775 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.7%) | Down 8,848 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 Puffinberger 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 | #144,141 | #152,989 | -6.1% |
| Count | 115 | 105 | -8.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puffinberger bearers went from 115 to 105 (-8.7% change). The surname moved down 8,848 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #152,989.
FAQ
Puffinberger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puffinberger?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Puffinberger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Puffinberger?
Puffinberger 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 Puffinberger. 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 Puffinberger.
Has Puffinberger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puffinberger went from 115 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Puffinberger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puffinberger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (6.7%). 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 Puffinberger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puffinberger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (6.7%). 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 Puffinberger (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 Puffinberger mean?
A Germanic surname derived from the components "puffin" and "berg," potentially referring to a person from a hill or town associated with puffins. 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 Puffinberger (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 have the last name Puffinberger?
If you just want to know how many people have the last name Puffinberger, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.