2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Steinmacher
A German occupational surname meaning "stoneworker" or "mason".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Steinmacher. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Steinmacher 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Steinmacher in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinmacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Steinmacher
The surname Steinmacher originates from the German language and can be traced back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the regions that are now parts of modern-day Germany and Austria. The name is derived from the Middle High German words "stein," meaning stone, and "macher," meaning maker or worker, thus translating to "stonemason" or "stoneworker."
In the Middle Ages, stonemasons and stoneworkers played a crucial role in the construction of castles, churches, and other significant buildings. The surname Steinmacher likely emerged as a descriptor for individuals or families involved in this trade. It was common practice during that time for surnames to be derived from occupations or professions.
While no specific historical references to individuals with the surname Steinmacher have been found in ancient manuscripts or records like the Domesday Book, the name's origins can be traced back to the 14th or 15th century. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name include Johann Steinmacher, a stonemason from Nuremberg, born in 1472, and Hans Steinmacher, a master builder from Augsburg, who lived in the late 15th century.
The name Steinmacher was also associated with various place names, particularly in regions where stonework and quarrying were prominent industries. For example, the village of Steinmachersdorf in Saxony, Germany, may have derived its name from the presence of stonemasons or stoneworkers in the area.
Notable individuals with the surname Steinmacher throughout history include:
1. Friedrich Steinmacher (1795-1868), a German architect and civil engineer known for his work on public buildings and bridges in Berlin.
2. Karl Steinmacher (1810-1879), a German-American stoneworker and sculptor who contributed to the construction of several churches and public buildings in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
3. Johanna Steinmacher (1825-1903), a German educator and advocate for women's education in the 19th century.
4. Wilhelm Steinmacher (1865-1942), a German-American architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
5. Otto Steinmacher (1913-1995), an Austrian-American artist and sculptor renowned for his abstract and modernist works, many of which incorporated stone and other natural materials.
The surname Steinmacher continues to be found in various parts of Germany, Austria, and regions with significant German-speaking populations. While its prevalence may have waned over time, the name remains a testament to the historical importance of stonemasons and stoneworkers in the construction of notable structures and the development of architectural styles across Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Steinmacher
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinmacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Steinmacher 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 Steinmacher surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.4% · 107
- Two or more races5.8% · 7
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Steinmacher
Steinmacher 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
#140,157
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
-16 bearers (-11.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 21,203 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,152 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #140,157 | 119 | 0.04 | -16 bearers (-11.9%) | Down 21,203 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 1,152 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 Steinmacher 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 | #140,157 | #141,309 | -0.8% |
| Count | 119 | 121 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Steinmacher bearers went from 119 to 121 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 1,152 positions in the national ranking, going from #140,157 to #141,309.
FAQ
Steinmacher surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Steinmacher?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Steinmacher. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Steinmacher?
Steinmacher ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Steinmacher. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Steinmacher.
Has Steinmacher become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Steinmacher went from 119 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #140,157 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Steinmacher?
Among Census respondents with the surname Steinmacher, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.8%) and Hispanic (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 Steinmacher in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.4% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Steinmacher appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.4%), Two or More Races (5.8%), Hispanic (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 Steinmacher (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 Steinmacher mean?
A German occupational surname meaning "stoneworker" or "mason". 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 Steinmacher (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 common is the surname Steinmacher?
See how many people are called Steinmacher on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.