2000
#109,915
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Setzke
A surname derived from a place name in Germany, likely referring to someone from a particular location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Setzke. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Setzke 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Setzke in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Setzke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Setzke
The surname SETZKE is of German origin, originating in the northern regions of the country during the late medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Middle Low German word "setten," meaning "to place" or "to settle." This connection suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who settled or established a homestead in a new area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the SETZKE surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Brandenburgensis, a collection of historical documents from the Margraviate of Brandenburg, dating back to the 14th century. In this text, a certain "Henningus Setzke" is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Brieselang.
During the 16th century, the name appears to have spread to other regions of Germany, with records indicating individuals bearing the SETZKE surname residing in cities such as Lübeck and Hamburg. One notable figure from this period was Hans SETZKE (1525-1598), a master craftsman and woodcarver whose intricate works adorned several churches in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck.
As the centuries progressed, the SETZKE name continued to be documented across various parts of Germany. In the 18th century, Johann Gottfried SETZKE (1733-1799) was a respected theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Torgau, Saxony. His writings on religious matters and moral philosophy were widely read during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual bearing this surname was Karl Friedrich SETZKE (1806-1892), a Prussian military officer who served with distinction in the Prussian Army during the Revolutions of 1848 and the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. He rose to the rank of General and was awarded several military honors for his service.
In the late 19th century, the SETZKE name also found its way to the United States, likely as a result of German immigration. One notable American with this surname was Theodore SETZKE (1873-1942), a successful businessman and philanthropist who established several charitable foundations in his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Throughout its long history, the SETZKE surname has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Germany, as well as in communities with significant German heritage around the world. While its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages, the name continues to carry the legacy of those who bore it, representing a rich tapestry of cultural and historical significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Setzke
Among Census respondents with the surname Setzke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Setzke 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 Setzke surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 107
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Setzke
Setzke 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
-8 bearers (-5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 12,399 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-30 bearers (-21.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,351 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #109,915 | 149 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #122,314 | 141 | 0.05 | -8 bearers (-5.4%) | Down 12,399 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -30 bearers (-21.3%) | Down 26,351 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 Setzke 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 | #148,665 | -21.5% |
| Count | 141 | 111 | -21.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.04 | -25.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Setzke bearers went from 141 to 111 (-21.3% change). The surname moved down 26,351 positions in the national ranking, going from #122,314 to #148,665.
FAQ
Setzke surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Setzke?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Setzke. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Setzke?
Setzke ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Setzke. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Setzke.
Has Setzke become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Setzke went from 141 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 30 (-21.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #122,314 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Setzke?
Among Census respondents with the surname Setzke, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Setzke in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Setzke appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (2.7%), American Indian/Alaska Native (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 Setzke (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 Setzke mean?
A surname derived from a place name in Germany, likely referring to someone from a particular 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 Setzke (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 share the surname Setzke?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.