2000
#147,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Senffner
A topographic surname describing someone who lived near a mustard field or related location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 117 Americans carry the last name Senffner. That puts it at #154,755 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,929,524 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Senffner 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
117
1 in 2,929,524
Census rank
#154,755
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
102
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 102 bearers of the surname Senffner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154755th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Senffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Senffner
The surname Senffner is of German origin, first appearing in historical records around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, derived from the Middle High German term "senef", meaning mustard plant. This suggests the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to those involved in the cultivation or trade of mustard seeds.
One of the earliest known references to the Senffner name can be found in a 14th-century manuscript from the town of Freiberg, Saxony, where a certain "Hans Senffner" is mentioned as a landowner. The name also appears in various tax records and land deeds from the surrounding areas during the same time period.
As the name spread throughout Germany, it underwent several variations in spelling, including Senfner, Sennfner, and Sennfener. These variations likely reflect regional dialects and the inconsistent spelling conventions of the time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the Senffner name was Johann Senffner, a Lutheran theologian and author born in Saxony in 1528. His works included commentaries on Biblical texts and theological treatises.
Another historical figure with this surname was Friedrich Senffner, a German jurist and legal scholar who lived from 1599 to 1672. He served as a professor of law at the University of Jena and published several influential works on civil and canon law.
In the 18th century, the Senffner name gained prominence in the field of music with Johann Gottlieb Senffner, a German composer and organist born in 1717. He is known for his contributions to the development of the Protestant church cantata.
The 19th century saw the birth of Carl Senffner, a German-American businessman and entrepreneur who played a pivotal role in the development of the brewing industry in the United States. Born in Saxony in 1829, he later emigrated to America and co-founded the Senffner Brothers Brewing Company in Chicago.
Another notable figure from this era was Otto Senffner, a German artist and illustrator born in 1857. He was renowned for his detailed etchings and woodcuts, many of which depicted landscapes and architectural scenes from various German cities.
While the Senffner name has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, with descendants bearing this surname found in countries such as the United States, Canada, and Australia.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Senffner
Among Census respondents with the surname Senffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Senffner 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 Senffner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.2% · 93
- Two or more races5.9% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Senffner
Senffner 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+7 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,300 places
2020
#154,755
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-8 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,360 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #147,095 | 103 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 2,300 places |
| 2020 | #154,755 | 102 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 5,360 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 Senffner 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 | #149,395 | #154,755 | -3.6% |
| Count | 110 | 102 | -7.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -14.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Senffner bearers went from 110 to 102 (-7.3% change). The surname moved down 5,360 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #154,755.
FAQ
Senffner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Senffner?
Name Census estimates that about 117 living Americans carry the surname Senffner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,929,524 residents.
How common is Senffner?
Senffner ranks #154,755 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 102 people with the surname Senffner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (117), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Senffner.
Has Senffner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Senffner went from 110 recorded bearers to 102. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #149,395 to #154,755.
What does the Census say about the background of Senffner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Senffner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Senffner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.2% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Senffner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.2%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Senffner (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 Senffner mean?
A topographic surname describing someone who lived near a mustard field or related location. 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 Senffner (0.03 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 last name Senffner?
Want to know how common the surname Senffner is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.