2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Purfeerst
A variant German surname meaning "prince" or "sovereign ruler."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Purfeerst. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Purfeerst 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Purfeerst in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Purfeerst, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Purfeerst
The surname PURFEERST is believed to have originated in Germany during the late medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German words "pur" meaning "pure" or "genuine", and "fürst" meaning "prince" or "ruler". This suggests that the name may have initially been used to denote someone of noble or royal lineage, or perhaps someone who exhibited qualities associated with nobility and purity.
One of the earliest recorded instances of this surname can be found in the Heidelberg Manuscript, a collection of legal documents and records from the city of Heidelberg, dating back to the late 15th century. In this manuscript, a certain Dietrich PURFEERST is mentioned as a landowner and prominent citizen of the region.
During the 16th century, the PURFEERST name appears in several historical documents from the German states of Bavaria and Saxony. Notable individuals from this period include Johannes PURFEERST (1512-1587), a respected theologian and educator who served as the rector of the University of Leipzig, and Gottfried PURFEERST (1547-1611), a renowned clockmaker whose intricate timepieces were highly sought after by the nobility of the time.
As the centuries progressed, the PURFEERST name began to spread beyond the borders of Germany. In the 17th century, records show a branch of the family settling in the Netherlands, where they became prominent merchants and traders. One of the most famous members of this Dutch branch was Willem PURFEERST (1632-1701), a successful merchant and philanthropist who founded several schools and hospitals in Amsterdam.
In the 18th century, the PURFEERST name made its way to the British Isles, where it underwent various spelling variations such as PURFEIRST and PURFIRST. One notable figure from this period was Sir Henry PURFEERST (1725-1803), a British military officer who served with distinction in the American Revolutionary War and was later appointed Governor of Nova Scotia.
During the 19th century, as immigration to the Americas increased, many individuals bearing the PURFEERST surname settled in various parts of the United States and Canada. Among them was Wilhelm PURFEERST (1810-1892), a German immigrant who became a successful businessman and landowner in the state of Pennsylvania.
Throughout its long and varied history, the surname PURFEERST has been carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions, each contributing to the rich tapestry of its legacy. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over time, its roots remain firmly grounded in the noble and pure connotations of its Germanic origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Purfeerst
Among Census respondents with the surname Purfeerst, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Purfeerst 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 Purfeerst surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White98.3% · 113
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Purfeerst
Purfeerst 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
#159,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,468 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
+14 bearers (+13.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 13,955 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #159,712 | 101 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,468 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | +14 bearers (+13.9%) | Up 13,955 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 Purfeerst 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 | #159,712 | #145,757 | 8.7% |
| Count | 101 | 115 | 13.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 28.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Purfeerst bearers went from 101 to 115 (+13.9% change). The surname moved up 13,955 positions in the national ranking, going from #159,712 to #145,757.
FAQ
Purfeerst surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Purfeerst?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Purfeerst. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Purfeerst?
Purfeerst ranks #145,757 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 115 people with the surname Purfeerst. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), 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 Purfeerst.
Has Purfeerst become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Purfeerst went from 101 recorded bearers to 115. That is an increase of 14 (+13.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #159,712 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Purfeerst?
Among Census respondents with the surname Purfeerst, the largest self-reported group is White at 98.3%. The next largest groups are Black (0.9%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Purfeerst in the 2020 Census, accounting for 98.3% (113 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Purfeerst appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (98.3%), Black (0.9%), American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%). 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 Purfeerst (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 Purfeerst mean?
A variant German surname meaning "prince" or "sovereign ruler." 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 Purfeerst (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 surname Purfeerst?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.