2000
#37,534
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 558
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.21
Very Rare Last name
Radler
Bavarian surname meaning "cyclist" or "bicyclist."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 648 Americans carry the last name Radler. That puts it at #41,517 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 528,942 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Radler 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
648
1 in 528,942
Census rank
#41,517
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
565
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 565 bearers of the surname Radler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 41517th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Radler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Radler
The surname RADLER is of German origin, and it dates back to the 16th century. The name is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Austria, where it was likely derived from the German word "Radler," which means "a cyclist" or "a wheelman."
The earliest recorded use of the name RADLER can be traced back to the town of Regensburg in Bavaria, where it appeared in a church register from 1532. It is possible that the name was initially given as a descriptive surname to someone whose occupation involved working with wheels or bicycles.
In the 17th century, the name RADLER appeared in several historical records in the German-speaking regions. For instance, a Johannes Radler was mentioned in a legal document from the city of Nuremberg in 1673. Additionally, a man named Hans Radler was listed as a resident of the town of Salzburg in Austria in 1689.
One of the earliest known individuals with the surname RADLER was Johann Radler, a German clockmaker who lived in the city of Augsburg in the late 16th century. He was renowned for his intricate and precise timepieces, which were highly sought after by the wealthy and noble classes of the time.
Another notable figure with the surname RADLER was Friedrich Radler (1836-1917), a German painter and illustrator who was known for his landscapes and depictions of rural life in Bavaria. His works are now displayed in several art museums and galleries across Germany.
In the 19th century, the name RADLER was also found in other parts of Europe. For example, a Czech composer named Karel Radler (1857-1923) gained recognition for his operas and orchestral works, which were heavily influenced by the Romantic musical tradition.
Other individuals with the surname RADLER include Max Radler (1904-1971), an Austrian architect who designed several notable buildings in Vienna, and Hans Radler (1909-1987), a German soccer player who represented his country in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
The name RADLER has also been associated with various place names in Germany and Austria, such as Radlermühle (a mill) and Radlersiedlung (a settlement), which further reinforces the connection between the surname and the concept of wheels or cycling.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Radler
Among Census respondents with the surname Radler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Radler 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 Radler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.6% · 512
- Hispanic or Latino6.9% · 39
- Two or more races1.9% · 11
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Radler
Radler 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
#42,455
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 511
-47 bearers (-8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.17
Rank movement Down 4,921 places
2020
#41,517
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 565
+54 bearers (+10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Up 938 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,534 | 558 | 0.21 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #42,455 | 511 | 0.17 | -47 bearers (-8.4%) | Down 4,921 places |
| 2020 | #41,517 | 565 | 0.19 | +54 bearers (+10.6%) | Up 938 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 Radler 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 | #42,455 | #41,517 | 2.2% |
| Count | 511 | 565 | 10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.17 | 0.19 | 11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Radler bearers went from 511 to 565 (+10.6% change). The surname moved up 938 positions in the national ranking, going from #42,455 to #41,517.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Radler
FAQ
Radler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Radler?
Name Census estimates that about 648 living Americans carry the surname Radler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 528,942 residents.
How common is Radler?
Radler ranks #41,517 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.19 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 565 people with the surname Radler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (648), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.19 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 Radler.
Has Radler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Radler went from 511 recorded bearers to 565. That is an increase of 54 (+10.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #42,455 to #41,517.
What does the Census say about the background of Radler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Radler, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Radler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.6% (512 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Radler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.6%), Hispanic (6.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Radler (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 Radler mean?
Bavarian surname meaning "cyclist" or "bicyclist." 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 Radler (0.19 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 Americans have the surname Radler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.