2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Senften
A Germanized spelling of the French surname "Saint-Feau" or "Saint-Pheu".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Senften. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Senften 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Senften in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Senften, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Senften
The surname Senften is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old German word "senfte," which means "gentle" or "mild." The name may have initially been used as a descriptive nickname for someone with a calm or gentle demeanor.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Senften can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various forms, such as "Senften," "Senften," and "Senften," indicating regional variations in spelling and pronunciation.
In the 14th century, the Senften family is mentioned in the records of the city of Nuremberg, where they held prominent positions in the local government and trade guilds. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Senften (1320-1392), a respected merchant and member of the Nuremberg City Council.
During the 16th century, the Senften name gained recognition through the works of the German humanist and scholar, Philipp Melanchthon (1497-1560), who was born with the surname Senften but later adopted the Greek translation, Melanchthon. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was a close collaborator of Martin Luther.
Another notable figure with the Senften surname was Friedrich Wilhelm Senften von Pilsach (1688-1758), a Prussian military officer who served under King Frederick the Great. He distinguished himself in the Seven Years' War and was awarded the prestigious Order of the Black Eagle for his bravery and leadership.
In the 19th century, the Senften name was associated with the German aristocracy. Carl Friedrich von Senften-Leschwitz (1799-1876) was a Prussian nobleman and diplomat who served as the Minister of Foreign Affairs for the German Confederation from 1848 to 1849.
The Senften surname has also been found in various place names across Germany, such as Senftenau, Senftenbach, and Senftenfeld, suggesting that some branches of the family may have taken their names from these locations or vice versa.
Overall, the surname Senften has a rich history spanning several centuries and has been associated with notable figures in various fields, including commerce, academia, military, and diplomacy. Its origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it likely emerged as a descriptive nickname for someone with a gentle or mild nature.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Senften
Among Census respondents with the surname Senften, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Senften 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 Senften surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.0% · 102
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Senften
Senften 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
#122,314
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 141
+23 bearers (+19.5%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 9,945 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-38 bearers (-27.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 31,868 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | +23 bearers (+19.5%) | Up 9,945 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -38 bearers (-27.0%) | Down 31,868 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 Senften 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 | #122,314 | #154,182 | -26.1% |
| Count | 141 | 103 | -27.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -31.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Senften bearers went from 141 to 103 (-27.0% change). The surname moved down 31,868 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #154,182.
FAQ
Senften surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Senften?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Senften. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Senften?
Senften ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Senften. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Senften.
Has Senften become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Senften went from 141 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 38 (-27.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Senften?
Among Census respondents with the surname Senften, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Senften in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.0% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Senften appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.0%), Hispanic (1.0%). 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 Senften (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 Senften mean?
A Germanized spelling of the French surname "Saint-Feau" or "Saint-Pheu". 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 Senften (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 are called Senften?
You can see how many people have the last name Senften on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.