2000
#13,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,015
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.75
Rare Last name
Steinhoff
A German habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a stone farmyard or courtyard.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,320 Americans carry the last name Steinhoff. That puts it at #14,247 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.68 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 147,739 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steinhoff 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
2.3K
1 in 147,739
Census rank
#14,247
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.0K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,023 bearers of the surname Steinhoff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.68 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14247th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinhoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steinhoff
The surname Steinhoff originated in Germany, with records dating back to the early 16th century. It is derived from the German words "Stein," meaning "stone," and "Hof," meaning "farm" or "courtyard." This combination suggests that the name likely referred to a farm or homestead located near or surrounded by rocky areas or quarries.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Steinhoff can be found in the town records of Heidelberg, Germany, from the year 1528, where a certain Hans Steinhoff is mentioned as a landowner. This indicates that the name was already established in the region by that time.
In the 17th century, the Steinhoff name appeared in various parts of central and northern Germany, with several families bearing the name settling in areas such as Saxony, Brandenburg, and Pomerania.
One notable Steinhoff from this period was Johann Christoph Steinhoff (1645-1719), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Württemberg. His compositions, though now largely forgotten, were influential in the development of the German baroque style.
As the centuries progressed, the Steinhoff name spread throughout German-speaking regions and beyond, with some families emigrating to other parts of Europe and the Americas.
In the 19th century, a branch of the Steinhoff family established itself in the Netherlands, where they became prominent in the shipping and trading industries. One member of this line, Albertus Steinhoff (1821-1892), founded a successful shipping company that operated out of Rotterdam.
Another notable figure bearing the Steinhoff name was Karl Steinhoff (1892-1981), a German general who served in both World Wars. He played a significant role in the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II and later became a prisoner of war.
Throughout its history, the surname Steinhoff has been associated with various occupations and professions, including farmers, artisans, merchants, and military personnel, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and experiences of those who have carried this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steinhoff
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinhoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Steinhoff 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 Steinhoff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.6% · 1,812
- Hispanic or Latino4.1% · 83
- Two or more races3.4% · 68
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 34
- Black or African American0.6% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 13
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steinhoff
Steinhoff 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
#14,096
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,132
+117 bearers (+5.8%)
Per 100,000 0.72
Rank movement Down 316 places
2020
#14,247
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,023
-109 bearers (-5.1%)
Per 100,000 0.68
Rank movement Down 151 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,780 | 2,015 | 0.75 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,096 | 2,132 | 0.72 | +117 bearers (+5.8%) | Down 316 places |
| 2020 | #14,247 | 2,023 | 0.68 | -109 bearers (-5.1%) | Down 151 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 Steinhoff 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 | #14,096 | #14,247 | -1.1% |
| Count | 2,132 | 2,023 | -5.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.72 | 0.68 | -6.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steinhoff bearers went from 2,132 to 2,023 (-5.1% change). The surname moved down 151 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,096 to #14,247.
FAQ
Steinhoff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steinhoff?
Name Census estimates that about 2,320 living Americans carry the surname Steinhoff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 147,739 residents.
How common is Steinhoff?
Steinhoff ranks #14,247 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.68 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 2,023 people with the surname Steinhoff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,320), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.68 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.68 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 Steinhoff.
Has Steinhoff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steinhoff went from 2,132 recorded bearers to 2,023. That is a decrease of 109 (-5.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #14,096 to #14,247.
What does the Census say about the background of Steinhoff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinhoff, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.1%) and Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Steinhoff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.6% (1,812 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steinhoff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.6%), Hispanic (4.1%), Two or More Races (3.4%). 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 Steinhoff (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 Steinhoff mean?
A German habitational surname referring to someone who lived near a stone farmyard or courtyard. 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 Steinhoff (0.68 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 surname Steinhoff?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.