2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Strelau
A surname derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "shooter" or "archer."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 110 Americans carry the last name Strelau. That puts it at #156,540 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,115,949 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Strelau 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
110
1 in 3,115,949
Census rank
#156,540
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
96
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 96 bearers of the surname Strelau in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156540th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Strelau, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Strelau
The surname STRELAU originated in Germany, likely emerging in the late medieval period or early modern era. It is derived from the German word "strele," which means "arrow" or "archer," suggesting that the name may have been an occupational surname given to someone who made or used arrows, perhaps as an archer or fletcher.
The earliest recorded instances of the STRELAU surname can be traced back to the 16th and 17th centuries in various German regions, such as Saxony, Silesia, and Brandenburg. It is believed that the name may have initially been spelled differently, with variations like "Strelau," "Strelauer," or "Strelauer."
In the 17th century, a notable figure with the STRELAU surname was Johann Strelau (1624-1687), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in Silesia. His works on Protestant theology and biblical exegesis were widely read during his lifetime.
Another historical figure bearing this surname was Carl Friedrich Strelau (1783-1856), a German lawyer and politician who served as a member of the Prussian National Assembly during the Revolutions of 1848.
In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the STRELAU name was Ernst Strelau (1844-1915), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and public spaces in Berlin and other German cities.
Turning to the 20th century, a notable figure was Max Strelau (1891-1974), a German politician and trade unionist who played a significant role in the labor movement and the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) during the Weimar Republic and post-World War II eras.
Another individual of note was Ursula Strelau (1929-2017), a German actress and theater director who had a prolific career spanning over six decades, appearing in numerous stage productions, films, and television shows.
While the STRELAU surname is relatively uncommon today, it has a rich history and has been borne by notable figures across various fields, from theology and politics to architecture and the arts, primarily in Germany and other German-speaking regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Strelau
Among Census respondents with the surname Strelau, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Strelau 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 Strelau surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 96
Timeline
Historical Census data for Strelau
Strelau 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,223 places
2020
#156,540
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 96
-7 bearers (-6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 694 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,223 places |
| 2020 | #156,540 | 96 | 0.03 | -7 bearers (-6.8%) | Up 694 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 Strelau 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 | #157,234 | #156,540 | 0.4% |
| Count | 103 | 96 | -6.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 7.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Strelau bearers went from 103 to 96 (-6.8% change). The surname moved up 694 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #156,540.
FAQ
Strelau surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Strelau?
Name Census estimates that about 110 living Americans carry the surname Strelau. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,115,949 residents.
How common is Strelau?
Strelau ranks #156,540 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 96 people with the surname Strelau. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (110), 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 Strelau.
Has Strelau become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Strelau went from 103 recorded bearers to 96. That is a decrease of 7 (-6.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #156,540.
What does the Census say about the background of Strelau?
Among Census respondents with the surname Strelau, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Strelau in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Strelau appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Strelau (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 Strelau mean?
A surname derived from a Slavic personal name meaning "shooter" or "archer." 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 Strelau (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 have the surname Strelau?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.