2000
#13,277
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.78
Rare Last name
Seigler
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of ropes and cords.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,117 Americans carry the last name Seigler. That puts it at #15,307 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.62 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 161,906 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seigler 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
2.1K
1 in 161,906
Census rank
#15,307
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,846 bearers of the surname Seigler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.62 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15307th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seigler
The surname "SEIGLER" is of German origin and can be traced back to the late 15th century. It is believed to have originated from the southwestern region of Germany, particularly in the areas around the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in a document dated 1487, where a certain "Hans Seigler" is listed as a resident of the town of Freiburg im Breisgau. This region was known for its thriving textile industry, and it is possible that the name "Seigler" was an occupational surname derived from the German word "Seigler," meaning "silk worker" or "silk dyer."
In the 16th century, the name appears in various records across southern Germany, including church registers and tax rolls. For instance, a "Georg Seigler" is mentioned in a 1543 document from the town of Heidelberg, while a "Matthias Seigler" is recorded as a landowner in the village of Oberkirch in 1578.
As the name spread beyond its initial geographic origins, it underwent several spelling variations, such as "Seigeler," "Seygler," and "Segler." These variations can be found in historical documents from different regions of Germany and neighboring areas.
One notable individual bearing this surname was Johann Seigler (1668-1732), a renowned clockmaker and instrument maker from the city of Augsburg. His intricate timepieces and scientific instruments were highly sought after by nobles and scholars across Europe.
Another prominent figure was Friedrich Seigler (1812-1890), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Heidelberg. He authored several influential works on Christian ethics and the relationship between religion and modern society.
In the 19th century, the name "SEIGLER" also appears in records from the United States, likely due to German immigration. One example is William Seigler (1836-1912), a successful businessman and philanthropist who founded the Seigler Textile Mills in North Carolina.
Other notable individuals with this surname include Elise Seigler (1878-1962), a German-born artist known for her vibrant landscapes and still-life paintings, and Hans Seigler (1908-1991), a German-American engineer who made significant contributions to the development of early computer systems.
While the surname "SEIGLER" may have originated as an occupational name related to the silk trade, it has since become a widely recognized family name, with descendants scattered across various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seigler
Among Census respondents with the surname Seigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Seigler 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 Seigler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.1% · 1,497
- Black or African American11.5% · 212
- Two or more races4.2% · 77
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seigler
Seigler 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
#11,753
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,665
+557 bearers (+26.4%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Up 1,524 places
2020
#15,307
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,846
-819 bearers (-30.7%)
Per 100,000 0.62
Rank movement Down 3,554 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,277 | 2,108 | 0.78 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,753 | 2,665 | 0.90 | +557 bearers (+26.4%) | Up 1,524 places |
| 2020 | #15,307 | 1,846 | 0.62 | -819 bearers (-30.7%) | Down 3,554 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 Seigler 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 | #11,753 | #15,307 | -30.2% |
| Count | 2,665 | 1,846 | -30.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.62 | -31.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seigler bearers went from 2,665 to 1,846 (-30.7% change). The surname moved down 3,554 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,753 to #15,307.
FAQ
Seigler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seigler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,117 living Americans carry the surname Seigler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 161,906 residents.
How common is Seigler?
Seigler ranks #15,307 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.62 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 1,846 people with the surname Seigler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.62 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.62 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 Seigler.
Has Seigler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seigler went from 2,665 recorded bearers to 1,846. That is a decrease of 819 (-30.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,753 to #15,307.
What does the Census say about the background of Seigler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seigler, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.1%. The next largest groups are Black (11.5%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Seigler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.1% (1,497 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seigler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.1%), Black (11.5%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Seigler (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 Seigler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a maker or seller of ropes and cords. 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 Seigler (0.62 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 common is the surname Seigler?
See how common the surname Seigler is on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.