2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Rodenhizer
From a Germanic origin meaning someone from a clearing or open fields.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Rodenhizer. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Rodenhizer 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Rodenhizer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodenhizer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Rodenhizer
The surname Rodenhizer is believed to have originated in Germany, with the earliest recorded instances dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to have derived from the German words "roden" meaning "to clear land" and "hizer" meaning "farmer" or "peasant." This suggests that the name was initially given to those who worked as farmers or cleared land for agricultural purposes.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans Rodenhizer, a farmer from the region of Bavaria, who was mentioned in a land registry document from 1589. This document detailed his ownership of a parcel of land near the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
In the 17th century, the name appeared in various church records and tax rolls across different regions of Germany, indicating that the Rodenhizer family had begun to spread throughout the country. One notable individual was Johann Rodenhizer, a vintner born in 1623 in the town of Kaiserslautern, who was known for producing high-quality wines.
As the Rodenhizer family continued to grow and expand, some members migrated to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the late 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Russian Empire, where they established themselves as successful farmers and landowners. One prominent figure was Nikolaus Rodenhizer, born in 1785 in the German colony of Katharinenstadt, who became a prosperous wheat farmer and a respected member of the local community.
Another notable Rodenhizer was Wilhelm Rodenhizer, born in 1842 in the Prussian town of Görlitz. He was a skilled architect and engineer who played a significant role in the construction of several landmark buildings in Berlin during the late 19th century.
In the 20th century, the surname Rodenhizer continued to be carried by individuals in various parts of the world, including North America, where many immigrants from Germany and Russia settled. However, due to the passage of time and the dispersal of the family, the name has become relatively uncommon in modern times.
It is important to note that while the surname Rodenhizer has a rich history and can be traced back to its German origins, the information provided here is based on limited historical records and may not be exhaustive. As with many surnames, there is always the possibility of alternative theories and interpretations regarding its etymology and evolution over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Rodenhizer
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodenhizer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Rodenhizer 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 Rodenhizer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 103
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
- Two or more races1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Rodenhizer
Rodenhizer 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+1 bearers (+0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,026 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-5 bearers (-4.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,081 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.9%) | Down 8,026 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.2%) | Down 6,081 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 Rodenhizer 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 | #141,140 | #147,221 | -4.3% |
| Count | 118 | 113 | -4.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Rodenhizer bearers went from 118 to 113 (-4.2% change). The surname moved down 6,081 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #147,221.
FAQ
Rodenhizer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Rodenhizer?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Rodenhizer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Rodenhizer?
Rodenhizer ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Rodenhizer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Rodenhizer.
Has Rodenhizer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Rodenhizer went from 118 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Rodenhizer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Rodenhizer, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Black (1.8%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Rodenhizer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Rodenhizer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Black (1.8%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Rodenhizer (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 Rodenhizer mean?
From a Germanic origin meaning someone from a clearing or open fields. 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 Rodenhizer (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 Rodenhizer?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.