2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Sieburg
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Germany meaning "victorious fortress."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Sieburg. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Sieburg 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Sieburg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Sieburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Sieburg
The surname "Sieburg" is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated as a toponymic name, referring to a place or locality. The first part of the name, "Sie," is likely derived from the Old German word "sieh," meaning "marshy area" or "swampy land." The second part, "burg," translates to "castle" or "fortified town."
One of the earliest known records of the surname "Sieburg" can be found in the Ratzeburger Zehntregister, a historical document from the 13th century that documented tax payments in the Bishopric of Ratzeburg, located in present-day northern Germany. This reference suggests that the name may have originated in this region, where there were likely settlements or fortified towns established in marshy or swampy areas.
During the 14th century, the name "Sieburg" appeared in various historical documents, such as land records and legal proceedings, particularly in the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia. This indicates that the name had spread and became more widely used across different parts of northern Germany.
One notable individual bearing the surname "Sieburg" was Johann Sieburg, a German Protestant theologian and reformer who lived from 1592 to 1652. He played a significant role in the religious and intellectual discourse of his time, authoring several works and participating in theological debates.
Another historical figure with the name "Sieburg" was Heinrich Sieburg, a German writer and literary critic who lived from 1875 to 1945. He was known for his critical works on German literature and his contributions to literary magazines and journals.
In the 18th century, the name "Sieburg" appeared in connection with several noble families in northern Germany, such as the von Sieburgs, who held estates and landholdings in the region. This suggests that the name may have been associated with nobility or landowners during that time period.
The surname "Sieburg" has also been found in historical records related to military service, with several individuals bearing the name serving in various German armies and military campaigns throughout the centuries.
It is important to note that the spelling and pronunciation of the name may have varied over time and across different regions, with variations such as "Sieborg," "Sieborgh," or "Sieburgk" appearing in some historical documents.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Sieburg
Among Census respondents with the surname Sieburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Sieburg 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 Sieburg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.4% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino4.2% · 5
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Sieburg
Sieburg 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
#145,220
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
-1 bearers (-0.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,291 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+4 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,709 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -1 bearers (-0.9%) | Down 10,291 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.5%) | Up 1,709 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 Sieburg 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 | #145,220 | #143,511 | 1.2% |
| Count | 114 | 118 | 3.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Sieburg bearers went from 114 to 118 (+3.5% change). The surname moved up 1,709 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #143,511.
FAQ
Sieburg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Sieburg?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Sieburg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Sieburg?
Sieburg ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Sieburg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Sieburg.
Has Sieburg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Sieburg went from 114 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 4 (+3.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #145,220 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Sieburg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Sieburg, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.2%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Sieburg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.4% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Sieburg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.4%), Hispanic (4.2%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Sieburg (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 Sieburg mean?
A habitational surname derived from a place name in Germany meaning "victorious fortress." 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 Sieburg (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 Sieburg?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Sieburg at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.