2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Steinfurth
A German surname derived from a topographic name referring to a stony ford or crossing over a river.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Steinfurth. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steinfurth 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Steinfurth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinfurth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steinfurth
The surname STEINFURTH originated in Germany, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is derived from the Old German words "stein," meaning stone, and "furth," signifying a shallow place in a river where it can be crossed. The name likely referred to a settlement or location near a stony ford or crossing over a stream.
During the Middle Ages, the name STEINFURTH appeared in various German records and chronicles, often associated with individuals residing in the regions of Saxony, Thuringia, and Hesse. One of the earliest documented instances is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the principality of Anhalt, which mentions a "Henricus de Steinfurth" in the year 1348.
In the 15th century, the STEINFURTH name gained prominence with the rise of a noble family bearing this surname. Johann von Steinfurth (1420-1492) was a prominent figure who served as a councillor and diplomat for the Electorate of Saxony. He played a crucial role in negotiating treaties and alliances during the turbulent times of the Hussite Wars.
Another notable figure was Hans Steinfurth (1525-1597), a German theologian and reformer who embraced the Protestant faith. He actively participated in the spread of Lutheran teachings and authored several religious treatises that contributed to the development of Protestantism in Germany.
In the realm of academia, Georg Steinfurth (1738-1818) stood out as a distinguished scholar and professor of law at the University of Leipzig. His influential works on legal theory and jurisprudence were widely studied and cited during the late 18th and early 19th centuries.
The name STEINFURTH also found its way into the annals of military history with Karl von Steinfurth (1801-1870), a Prussian general who played a significant role in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866. His strategic leadership and tactical acumen were instrumental in securing victory for the Prussian forces at the Battle of Königgrätz.
Throughout the centuries, the STEINFURTH surname has been associated with various locations and place names across Germany, such as Steinfurt (a town in North Rhine-Westphalia), Steinfurth (a municipality in Saxony-Anhalt), and Steinförde (a village in Lower Saxony), reflecting the name's geographic origins and dispersal over time.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steinfurth
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinfurth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Steinfurth 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 Steinfurth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 97
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Two or more races1.9% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steinfurth
Steinfurth 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
-8 bearers (-6.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,423 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-11 bearers (-9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 8,962 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #145,220 | 114 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-6.6%) | Down 16,423 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-9.6%) | Down 8,962 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 Steinfurth 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 | #154,182 | -6.2% |
| Count | 114 | 103 | -9.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steinfurth bearers went from 114 to 103 (-9.6% change). The surname moved down 8,962 positions in the national ranking, going from #145,220 to #154,182.
FAQ
Steinfurth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steinfurth?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Steinfurth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Steinfurth?
Steinfurth ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Steinfurth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Steinfurth.
Has Steinfurth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steinfurth went from 114 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 11 (-9.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #145,220 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Steinfurth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinfurth, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Steinfurth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (97 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steinfurth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (1.9%), Two or More Races (1.9%). 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 Steinfurth (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 Steinfurth mean?
A German surname derived from a topographic name referring to a stony ford or crossing over a river. 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 Steinfurth (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 share the surname Steinfurth?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.