2000
#88,461
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 195
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.07
Very Rare Last name
Taufer
A German surname originating as a description of someone associated with baptism.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 216 Americans carry the last name Taufer. That puts it at #102,164 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,586,826 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Taufer 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
216
1 in 1,586,826
Census rank
#102,164
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
188
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 188 bearers of the surname Taufer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 102164th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Taufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Taufer
The surname Taufer originates from Germany, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to be derived from the Middle High German word "toufen," meaning "to baptize" or "to immerse." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to individuals who performed baptisms or were involved in religious ceremonies.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Taufer can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 12th century. The name appears in various spelling variations, such as Taufer, Tauffer, and Tauffer, reflecting the inconsistencies in spelling during that era.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the surname Taufer was Johann Taufer, a prominent theologian and scholar who lived in the city of Nuremberg. He was known for his extensive writings on religious matters and his contributions to the intellectual discourse of his time.
During the 16th century, the name Taufer gained further recognition with Hans Taufer (1490-1565), a German painter and engraver from Nuremberg. His works, which included religious paintings and woodcuts, were highly regarded and can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
Another significant figure with the surname Taufer was Katharina Taufer (1528-1594), a Bavarian noblewoman and philanthropist. She was known for her charitable works, particularly her support for educational institutions and the establishment of hospitals in the region.
In the 18th century, the name Taufer appeared in the records of the city of Augsburg, where a family bearing this surname was prominent in the local business community. One member, Johann Friedrich Taufer (1715-1789), was a successful merchant and city councilor who played an influential role in the economic and political affairs of the city.
Throughout its history, the surname Taufer has been associated with various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and Franconia. While the name has undergone slight variations in spelling over the centuries, its connection to religious traditions and the act of baptism has remained a central theme in its origin and meaning.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Taufer
Among Census respondents with the surname Taufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Taufer 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 Taufer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.6% · 161
- Two or more races5.3% · 10
- Hispanic or Latino4.8% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.7% · 7
- Black or African American0.5% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Taufer
Taufer 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
#99,378
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 182
-13 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 10,917 places
2020
#102,164
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 188
+6 bearers (+3.3%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 2,786 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #88,461 | 195 | 0.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #99,378 | 182 | 0.06 | -13 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 10,917 places |
| 2020 | #102,164 | 188 | 0.06 | +6 bearers (+3.3%) | Down 2,786 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 Taufer 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 | #99,378 | #102,164 | -2.8% |
| Count | 182 | 188 | 3.3% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 4.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Taufer bearers went from 182 to 188 (+3.3% change). The surname moved down 2,786 positions in the national ranking, going from #99,378 to #102,164.
FAQ
Taufer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Taufer?
Name Census estimates that about 216 living Americans carry the surname Taufer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,586,826 residents.
How common is Taufer?
Taufer ranks #102,164 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 188 people with the surname Taufer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (216), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Taufer.
Has Taufer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Taufer went from 182 recorded bearers to 188. That is an increase of 6 (+3.3%). In the national ranking it fell from #99,378 to #102,164.
What does the Census say about the background of Taufer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Taufer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Taufer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.6% (161 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Taufer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.6%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (4.8%). 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 Taufer (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 Taufer mean?
A German surname originating as a description of someone associated with baptism. 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 Taufer (0.06 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 last name Taufer?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Taufer is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.