2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Senninger
A German surname perhaps derived from a geographic name or occupation related to farming or gardening.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Senninger. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Senninger 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Senninger in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Senninger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Senninger
The surname Senninger is believed to have originated in Germany, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "sennen," which means "to pasture" or "to graze." The name likely referred to an occupation or location associated with shepherding or grazing livestock.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Senninger can be found in the parish records of the town of Neunkirchen, located in the Saarland region of Germany. These records mention a Johann Senninger, who was born around 1580 and worked as a shepherd in the area.
In the 17th century, the Senninger family expanded their presence to other parts of Germany, including the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Historical documents from this period, such as tax records and land registries, show various spellings of the name, including Senniger, Senniger, and Senniger.
One notable figure bearing the Senninger name was Hans Senninger, a prominent merchant and banker who lived in the city of Augsburg during the late 16th century. He was known for his successful business ventures and his philanthropic contributions to the local community.
Another historical figure with the Senninger surname was Johann Georg Senninger, who was born in 1715 in the town of Meiningen, Thuringia. He was a respected theologian and author, known for his scholarly works on religious philosophy and ethics.
In the 19th century, the Senninger family began to migrate to other parts of Europe and beyond. Records show that a Karl Senninger, born in 1845 in the town of Bamberg, Bavaria, emigrated to the United States in the 1870s and settled in the state of Wisconsin, where he worked as a farmer.
Another notable figure was Friederike Senninger, a German author and poet who lived in the late 19th century. She was born in 1856 in the city of Dresden and published several collections of poetry that explored themes of nature, love, and spirituality.
During the 20th century, the Senninger surname continued to spread across various regions, with individuals bearing this name making contributions in various fields, including academia, arts, and sciences.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Senninger
Among Census respondents with the surname Senninger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Senninger 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 Senninger surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.5% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.6% · 4
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Senninger
Senninger 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-6 bearers (-5.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,297 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-5.2%) | Down 6,297 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 Senninger 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 | #143,149 | #149,446 | -4.4% |
| Count | 116 | 110 | -5.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Senninger bearers went from 116 to 110 (-5.2% change). The surname moved down 6,297 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #149,446.
FAQ
Senninger surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Senninger?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Senninger. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Senninger?
Senninger ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Senninger. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Senninger.
Has Senninger become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Senninger went from 116 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 6 (-5.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Senninger?
Among Census respondents with the surname Senninger, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.6%) and Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Senninger in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.5% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Senninger appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.5%), Hispanic (3.6%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Senninger (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 Senninger mean?
A German surname perhaps derived from a geographic name or occupation related to farming or gardening. 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 Senninger (0.04 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 Senninger?
Find out how common the surname Senninger is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.