2000
#12,256
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,329
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.86
Rare Last name
Senger
A German occupational surname referring to a singer or someone who sang in a choir or church.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,526 Americans carry the last name Senger. That puts it at #13,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.74 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 135,691 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Senger 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
2.5K
1 in 135,691
Census rank
#13,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.2K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,203 bearers of the surname Senger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.74 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Senger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Senger
The surname SENGER is of German origin, with its earliest roots traced back to the 14th century in the region of Bavaria. It is believed to have derived from the German word "senger," which means "singer" or "minstrel." This suggests that the name may have initially been an occupational surname given to those who were singers or performers by trade.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SENGER name can be found in the 1397 tax records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Senger is listed as a resident. This provides evidence that the name had already become established in the region by the late Middle Ages.
In the 16th century, the SENGER family spread beyond Bavaria, with branches appearing in other parts of Germany, such as Saxony and Silesia. During this period, variations in spelling began to emerge, including Sänger, Senger, and Sengler.
The town of Sengenhausen, located in the district of Rhön-Grabfeld in Bavaria, is believed to have derived its name from the SENGER family, suggesting that they may have been landowners or notable residents in the area at some point in history.
Notable individuals bearing the SENGER surname include:
1. Johann Senger (1486-1543), a German Protestant theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Reformation in Saxony.
2. Hans Senger (1525-1589), a German Renaissance painter active in Nuremberg, known for his religious and historical works.
3. Christoph Senger (1645-1708), a German Baroque composer and organist who served at the court of the Prince-Bishop of Bamberg.
4. Georg Senger (1767-1845), a German poet and journalist who wrote extensively on political and social issues during the Napoleonic Wars.
5. Friedrich Senger (1886-1936), a German architect and urban planner who contributed to the development of modern housing projects in Berlin during the early 20th century.
While the SENGER name may have originated as an occupational surname, it eventually became a hereditary surname passed down through generations. Its presence in various regions of Germany and its association with notable figures throughout history attest to its enduring legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Senger
Among Census respondents with the surname Senger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Senger 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 Senger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 2,050
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 66
- Two or more races2.4% · 52
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 24
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Senger
Senger 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
#12,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,435
+106 bearers (+4.6%)
Per 100,000 0.83
Rank movement Down 427 places
2020
#13,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,203
-232 bearers (-9.5%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Down 586 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #12,256 | 2,329 | 0.86 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #12,683 | 2,435 | 0.83 | +106 bearers (+4.6%) | Down 427 places |
| 2020 | #13,269 | 2,203 | 0.74 | -232 bearers (-9.5%) | Down 586 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 Senger 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 | #12,683 | #13,269 | -4.6% |
| Count | 2,435 | 2,203 | -9.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.83 | 0.74 | -11.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Senger bearers went from 2,435 to 2,203 (-9.5% change). The surname moved down 586 positions in the national ranking, going from #12,683 to #13,269.
FAQ
Senger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Senger?
Name Census estimates that about 2,526 living Americans carry the surname Senger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 135,691 residents.
How common is Senger?
Senger ranks #13,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.74 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 2,203 people with the surname Senger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,526), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.74 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.74 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 Senger.
Has Senger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Senger went from 2,435 recorded bearers to 2,203. That is a decrease of 232 (-9.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #12,683 to #13,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Senger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Senger, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) 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 Senger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (2,050 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Senger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.0%), 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 Senger (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 Senger mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a singer or someone who sang in a choir or church. 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 Senger (0.74 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 Americans have the surname Senger?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.