2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Puster
A surname potentially derived from German meaning "one who blows" or "bellows operator".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Puster. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Puster 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Puster in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Puster, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Puster
The surname Puster has its origins in Germany, specifically in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.
The name Puster is likely derived from the German word "Puster," which means "blower" or "one who blows." This suggests that the name was initially an occupational surname, given to individuals whose profession involved blowing air, such as blacksmiths or glassblowers.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Puster surname can be found in a document from the city of Augsburg, dated 1389, which mentions a certain "Hans Puster." This suggests that the name was already in use by the late 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records from the region of Bavaria, such as the Bavarian State Archives. There are mentions of individuals with the surname Puster residing in towns like Munich, Nuremberg, and Regensburg during this period.
Notable individuals with the surname Puster throughout history include Johann Puster (1579-1644), a German theologian and author from Nuremberg, who wrote extensively on religious subjects. Another prominent figure was Karl Puster (1766-1831), a Bavarian politician and jurist who served as the mayor of Munich in the early 19th century.
In the 18th century, the Puster surname can be found in various regions of what is now modern-day Germany, such as Saxony and Thuringia. One example is Johann Gottfried Puster (1717-1783), a German composer and organist from Leipzig, who was renowned for his contributions to church music.
Moving into the 19th century, Georg Puster (1810-1875) was a notable German painter and illustrator, born in the town of Bamberg. His works were celebrated for their depictions of rural life and landscapes in Bavaria.
Another individual of note was Hermann Puster (1876-1949), a German architect and urban planner who played a significant role in the reconstruction efforts in Berlin after World War II.
While the Puster surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the German region of Bavaria, where it emerged as an occupational surname several centuries ago.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Puster
Among Census respondents with the surname Puster, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Puster 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 Puster surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 110
Timeline
Historical Census data for Puster
Puster 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
#160,975
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 100
-7 bearers (-6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,156 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+10 bearers (+10.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 11,529 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #160,975 | 100 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.5%) | Down 18,156 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+10.0%) | Up 11,529 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 Puster 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 | #160,975 | #149,446 | 7.2% |
| Count | 100 | 110 | 10.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 22.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Puster bearers went from 100 to 110 (+10.0% change). The surname moved up 11,529 positions in the national ranking, going from #160,975 to #149,446.
FAQ
Puster surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Puster?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Puster. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Puster?
Puster ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Puster. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Puster.
Has Puster become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Puster went from 100 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 10 (+10.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #160,975 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Puster?
Among Census respondents with the surname Puster, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Puster in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (110 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Puster appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Puster (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 Puster mean?
A surname potentially derived from German meaning "one who blows" or "bellows operator". 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 Puster (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 Puster?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Puster is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.