2000
#13,503
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,065
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Seyler
A German occupational surname referring to a ropemaker or cordmaker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,237 Americans carry the last name Seyler. That puts it at #14,652 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.65 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 153,221 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seyler 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
2.2K
1 in 153,221
Census rank
#14,652
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,951 bearers of the surname Seyler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.65 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14652nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seyler
The surname SEYLER is of German origin, derived from the occupation of a maker or seller of sieves or strainers. It is an occupational surname that emerged in the Middle Ages, likely in the 13th or 14th century.
The name is believed to have originated from the Middle High German word "sīlære," which translates to "sieve maker" or "sieve seller." This occupation was essential in households and mills, where sieves were used to separate grains, flour, and other materials.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname SEYLER can be found in the records of the town of Augsburg, Germany, dated around 1350. The name appears as "Seiler," which is a variant spelling commonly found in various regions of Germany.
In the 15th century, the SEYLER name appeared in several historical documents, including the tax records of the city of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans Seyler was listed as a resident. This record provides evidence of the surname's presence in urban areas during that time period.
Notably, in the 16th century, a prominent figure named Johann Seyler (1556-1622) was a German Lutheran theologian and author. He served as a professor at the University of Leipzig and published several works on religious and philosophical topics.
Another notable individual with the surname SEYLER was Johann Philipp Seyler (1691-1768), a German painter and engraver. He was born in Nuremberg and is known for his portraits and religious paintings, some of which can still be found in churches and museums in Germany.
In the 18th century, the SEYLER name gained recognition in the world of theater. Abel Seyler (1730-1800) was a German actor, director, and theater manager. He founded the Abel Seyler Theater Company, which traveled throughout Germany and played a significant role in the development of German theater.
Moving into the 19th century, Wilhelm Seyler (1816-1895) was a German engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing the first practical incandescent light bulb in 1854, predating Thomas Edison's invention by several decades.
Throughout history, the surname SEYLER has been found in various regions of Germany, as well as in areas where German immigrants settled, such as parts of the United States and Canada. The name has maintained its distinct German roots and occupational origins, reflecting the rich cultural heritage and traditions of its bearers.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seyler
Among Census respondents with the surname Seyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Seyler 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 Seyler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.0% · 1,698
- Two or more races4.8% · 94
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.9% · 76
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 58
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 16
- Black or African American0.5% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seyler
Seyler 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
#14,257
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,102
+37 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.71
Rank movement Down 754 places
2020
#14,652
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,951
-151 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 395 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,503 | 2,065 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,257 | 2,102 | 0.71 | +37 bearers (+1.8%) | Down 754 places |
| 2020 | #14,652 | 1,951 | 0.65 | -151 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 395 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 Seyler 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 | #14,257 | #14,652 | -2.8% |
| Count | 2,102 | 1,951 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.71 | 0.65 | -8.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seyler bearers went from 2,102 to 1,951 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 395 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,257 to #14,652.
FAQ
Seyler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seyler?
Name Census estimates that about 2,237 living Americans carry the surname Seyler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 153,221 residents.
How common is Seyler?
Seyler ranks #14,652 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.65 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 1,951 people with the surname Seyler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,237), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.65 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.65 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 Seyler.
Has Seyler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seyler went from 2,102 recorded bearers to 1,951. That is a decrease of 151 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,257 to #14,652.
What does the Census say about the background of Seyler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seyler, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.9%). 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 Seyler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.0% (1,698 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seyler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.0%), Two or More Races (4.8%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.9%). 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 Seyler (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 Seyler mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a ropemaker or cordmaker. 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 Seyler (0.65 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 Seyler?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.