2000
#13,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,000
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.74
Rare Last name
Seidler
A German surname derived from the German word Seidler meaning silk weaver.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,158 Americans carry the last name Seidler. That puts it at #15,056 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 158,830 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seidler 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
2.2K
1 in 158,830
Census rank
#15,056
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,882 bearers of the surname Seidler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15056th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seidler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seidler
The surname Seidler originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to have derived from the German word "Seidel," which referred to a type of drinking vessel or mug. This suggests that the name may have originally been an occupational name for someone who made or sold these mugs.
The earliest recorded instances of the Seidler surname can be found in documents dating back to the 15th century in areas such as Bavaria and Saxony. One notable early bearer of the name was Hans Seidler, a merchant from Nuremberg who lived in the late 1400s and was mentioned in trade records of the time.
In the 16th century, the Seidler name appeared in various town records and church registers across central and southern Germany. Some of these early records may have included variations in spelling, such as Seideler or Seydler, which were common before standardized spellings became more widespread.
A significant figure in history with the Seidler name was Johann Gottfried Seidler (1724-1806), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Wittenberg. He made important contributions to the field of moral philosophy and wrote several influential works during the Enlightenment period.
Another notable Seidler was Karl Seidler (1822-1899), a German architect who designed numerous landmarks in Berlin, including the Reichstag building. His innovative architectural style left a lasting impact on the city's landscape.
In the 19th century, the Seidler surname began to spread beyond Germany as individuals emigrated to other parts of Europe and the Americas. One example is Gustav Seidler (1858-1922), an Austrian painter and illustrator who was part of the Viennese Secession movement and became known for his symbolist works.
As the name Seidler continued to disperse globally, it was carried by individuals such as Hugo Seidler (1924-2006), an influential Australian architect of Austrian descent who designed many iconic buildings in Sydney and other cities.
While these are just a few examples, the Seidler surname has a rich history dating back to medieval Germany, with bearers of the name leaving their mark in various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seidler
Among Census respondents with the surname Seidler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Seidler 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 Seidler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.7% · 1,763
- Hispanic or Latino2.4% · 45
- Two or more races2.4% · 45
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 14
- Black or African American0.5% · 10
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seidler
Seidler 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
#17,559
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,602
-398 bearers (-19.9%)
Per 100,000 0.54
Rank movement Down 3,704 places
2020
#15,056
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,882
+280 bearers (+17.5%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 2,503 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,855 | 2,000 | 0.74 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,559 | 1,602 | 0.54 | -398 bearers (-19.9%) | Down 3,704 places |
| 2020 | #15,056 | 1,882 | 0.63 | +280 bearers (+17.5%) | Up 2,503 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 Seidler 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 | #17,559 | #15,056 | 14.3% |
| Count | 1,602 | 1,882 | 17.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.54 | 0.63 | 16.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seidler bearers went from 1,602 to 1,882 (+17.5% change). The surname moved up 2,503 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,559 to #15,056.
FAQ
Seidler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seidler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,158 living Americans carry the surname Seidler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 158,830 residents.
How common is Seidler?
Seidler ranks #15,056 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,882 people with the surname Seidler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,158), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Seidler.
Has Seidler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seidler went from 1,602 recorded bearers to 1,882. That is an increase of 280 (+17.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,559 to #15,056.
What does the Census say about the background of Seidler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seidler, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.4%) and Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Seidler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.7% (1,763 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seidler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.7%), Hispanic (2.4%), Two or More Races (2.4%). 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 Seidler (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 Seidler mean?
A German surname derived from the German word Seidler meaning silk weaver. 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 Seidler (0.63 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 Seidler?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.