2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Seyfang
A surname originating from an Austrian word related to the occupation of soap-making.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Seyfang. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seyfang 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Seyfang in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seyfang, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seyfang
The surname Seyfang originates from Germany, where it first emerged during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Old German words "seif" meaning soap and "ang" meaning meadow or field. Thus, the name likely referred to a place where soap was produced or an individual who worked in soap making.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Seyfang surname can be found in the Württembergisches Urkundenbuch, a collection of historical documents from the region of Württemberg, dating back to the 14th century. The name appears as "Seiffang" in a document from 1382, referring to a person or family associated with a soap-making enterprise.
In the 16th century, historical records from the town of Nürnberg mention a prominent citizen named Hans Seyfang (c. 1510-1580), who was a successful merchant and member of the local guild. His name is documented in the city's archives and business records from that era.
Another notable figure with this surname was Johann Seyfang (1628-1691), a Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony. He wrote several influential works on theology and religious philosophy during the 17th century, which were widely circulated in German-speaking regions.
In the 18th century, the Seyfang name appeared in various church records and census documents from the Rhineland region of Germany. One notable individual was Katharina Seyfang (1725-1801), a respected midwife and herbalist from the town of Koblenz, whose skills were highly sought after by local families.
A more recent historical figure was Wilhelm Seyfang (1828-1892), a German engineer and inventor from Bavaria. He is credited with developing several innovations in textile machinery, which contributed to the growth of the industrial revolution in Germany during the 19th century.
While the Seyfang surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and migration patterns. However, the name remains relatively uncommon outside of its country of origin, reflecting its specific regional and linguistic ties to the German language and culture.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seyfang
Among Census respondents with the surname Seyfang, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and Hispanic (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Seyfang 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 Seyfang surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.2% · 100
- Two or more races2.9% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seyfang
Seyfang 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
#125,282
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 137
+5 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 4,224 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-33 bearers (-24.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 28,308 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #125,282 | 137 | 0.05 | +5 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 4,224 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -33 bearers (-24.1%) | Down 28,308 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 Seyfang 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 | #125,282 | #153,590 | -22.6% |
| Count | 137 | 104 | -24.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.03 | -30.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seyfang bearers went from 137 to 104 (-24.1% change). The surname moved down 28,308 positions in the national ranking, going from #125,282 to #153,590.
FAQ
Seyfang surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seyfang?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Seyfang. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Seyfang?
Seyfang ranks #153,590 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 104 people with the surname Seyfang. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), 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 Seyfang.
Has Seyfang become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seyfang went from 137 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 33 (-24.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #125,282 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Seyfang?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seyfang, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.9%) and 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 Seyfang in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.2% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seyfang appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.2%), Two or More Races (2.9%), 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 Seyfang (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 Seyfang mean?
A surname originating from an Austrian word related to the occupation of soap-making. 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 Seyfang (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 Seyfang?
Want to know how many people have the last name Seyfang? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.