2010
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Pyfferoen
A Dutch surname derived from the word "peper" meaning pepper.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Pyfferoen. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Pyfferoen 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Pyfferoen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyfferoen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Pyfferoen
The surname PYFFEROEN is of Dutch origin, emerging in the 16th century from the coastal regions of the Netherlands. It is derived from the Dutch word "pijperkoen," which translates to "pepper chicken," a reference to the spicy cuisine and trading traditions of the region.
In the early 1500s, records show the name PYFFEROEN appearing in various municipal documents and merchant logs from cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, reflecting the prominence of spice traders and merchants bearing this moniker. One of the earliest known mentions is found in a 1537 shipping manifest from the Dutch East India Company, listing a cargo shipment from a merchant named Hendrick PYFFEROEN.
The name PYFFEROEN gained further recognition in the 17th century, with the rise of Jacob PYFFEROEN (1598-1678), a renowned Dutch cartographer and mapmaker who contributed significantly to the mapping of the Dutch East Indies and the exploration of the Spice Islands.
Another notable figure was Pieter PYFFEROEN (1624-1693), a successful merchant and spice trader who amassed considerable wealth through his ventures in the Dutch East Indies. His name is etched in the annals of Amsterdam's mercantile history, with several buildings and streets bearing his family's name.
In the 18th century, the PYFFEROEN surname made its way across the Atlantic, with the migration of Dutch settlers to the New World. One such individual was Willem PYFFEROEN (1712-1784), a farmer and landowner who established roots in the Dutch colony of New Netherland, present-day New York.
The 19th century saw the PYFFEROEN name spread further, with Dirk PYFFEROEN (1823-1891), a Dutch-born engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early steam engines and locomotives in the United States.
Throughout its history, the PYFFEROEN surname has been associated with various place names and regional variations, including Pyfferoen, Pyfferoene, and Pyfferoon, reflecting the linguistic diversity and cultural influences of the areas where its bearers settled.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Pyfferoen
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyfferoen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Pyfferoen 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 Pyfferoen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 102
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino0.9% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Pyfferoen
Pyfferoen appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
+6 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,029 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.8%) | Up 7,029 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 Pyfferoen 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 | #157,234 | #150,205 | 4.5% |
| Count | 103 | 109 | 5.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 21.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Pyfferoen bearers went from 103 to 109 (+5.8% change). The surname moved up 7,029 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #150,205.
FAQ
Pyfferoen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Pyfferoen?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Pyfferoen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Pyfferoen?
Pyfferoen ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Pyfferoen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Pyfferoen.
Has Pyfferoen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Pyfferoen went from 103 recorded bearers to 109. That is an increase of 6 (+5.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Pyfferoen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Pyfferoen, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.7%) and Hispanic (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 Pyfferoen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Pyfferoen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Two or More Races (3.7%), Hispanic (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 Pyfferoen (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 Pyfferoen mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the word "peper" meaning pepper. 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 Pyfferoen (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 Pyfferoen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.