2000
#14,288
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,923
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.71
Rare Last name
Strausbaugh
A German topographic surname derived from a place near a thorny bush or thicket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,149 Americans carry the last name Strausbaugh. That puts it at #15,111 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.63 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 159,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Strausbaugh 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
2.1K
1 in 159,495
Census rank
#15,111
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,874 bearers of the surname Strausbaugh in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.63 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 15111th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Strausbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Strausbaugh
The surname Strausbaugh has its origins in the German language, tracing back to the medieval period in Central Europe. The name is a compound word derived from the German words "Strauss" meaning "bouquet" or "bunch of flowers," and "Baugh" meaning "wooded hill" or "small mountain."
This combination suggests that the name may have initially referred to a location or settlement characterized by its proximity to a wooded hill or mountain adorned with wildflowers or striking floral displays. The earliest recorded instances of the name appear in Germanic records from the 13th and 14th centuries, often spelled as "Straussbough" or "Straussbaugh."
One of the earliest documented individuals bearing this surname was Hans Strausbaugh, a prominent merchant and landowner from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, who lived between 1320 and 1387. His name is recorded in various municipal records and property deeds from that era.
Another notable figure was Konrad Strausbaugh, a skilled blacksmith and armorer who lived in Nuremberg from around 1415 to 1482. His work in crafting intricate suits of armor for nobility and knights was highly renowned throughout the region.
In the 16th century, the name appears in the records of the Protestant Reformation, with Matthias Strausbaugh (1525-1589) being a notable Lutheran theologian and author who wrote extensively on biblical interpretation and doctrine.
During the 17th century, the Strausbaugh name found its way to the New World, as several families emigrated from Germany to the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded instances was Johann Strausbaugh, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1683 and settled in the area that is now Berks County.
Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Strausbaugh (1742-1819), a Hessian soldier who fought on the British side during the American Revolutionary War. After being captured by the Continental Army, he chose to remain in the United States and became a successful farmer and landowner in Virginia.
Throughout the centuries, the Strausbaugh name has maintained its presence across various regions, with individuals bearing this surname making contributions in fields such as academia, the arts, and public service. While the specific origins may be shrouded in the mists of time, the name itself remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity that shaped the German-speaking regions of Central Europe.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Strausbaugh
Among Census respondents with the surname Strausbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Strausbaugh 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 Strausbaugh surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.0% · 1,780
- Hispanic or Latino2.5% · 46
- Two or more races1.5% · 28
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 12
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Strausbaugh
Strausbaugh 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
#15,238
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,930
+7 bearers (+0.4%)
Per 100,000 0.65
Rank movement Down 950 places
2020
#15,111
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,874
-56 bearers (-2.9%)
Per 100,000 0.63
Rank movement Up 127 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,288 | 1,923 | 0.71 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #15,238 | 1,930 | 0.65 | +7 bearers (+0.4%) | Down 950 places |
| 2020 | #15,111 | 1,874 | 0.63 | -56 bearers (-2.9%) | Up 127 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 Strausbaugh 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 | #15,238 | #15,111 | 0.8% |
| Count | 1,930 | 1,874 | -2.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.65 | 0.63 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Strausbaugh bearers went from 1,930 to 1,874 (-2.9% change). The surname moved up 127 positions in the national ranking, going from #15,238 to #15,111.
FAQ
Strausbaugh surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Strausbaugh?
Name Census estimates that about 2,149 living Americans carry the surname Strausbaugh. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 159,495 residents.
How common is Strausbaugh?
Strausbaugh ranks #15,111 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.63 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 1,874 people with the surname Strausbaugh. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,149), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.63 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.63 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 Strausbaugh.
Has Strausbaugh become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Strausbaugh went from 1,930 recorded bearers to 1,874. That is a decrease of 56 (-2.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #15,238 to #15,111.
What does the Census say about the background of Strausbaugh?
Among Census respondents with the surname Strausbaugh, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.5%) and Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Strausbaugh in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.0% (1,780 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Strausbaugh appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.0%), Hispanic (2.5%), Two or More Races (1.5%). 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 Strausbaugh (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 Strausbaugh mean?
A German topographic surname derived from a place near a thorny bush or thicket. 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 Strausbaugh (0.63 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 Strausbaugh?
If you just want to know how common the surname Strausbaugh is, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.