2000
#69,428
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 264
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.10
Very Rare Last name
Tefteller
An occupational surname derived from a Yiddish word meaning a cast iron pot maker.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 347 Americans carry the last name Tefteller. That puts it at #69,752 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.10 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 987,765 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tefteller 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
347
1 in 987,765
Census rank
#69,752
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
303
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 303 bearers of the surname Tefteller in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.10 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 69752nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tefteller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tefteller
The surname Tefteller has its origins in the medieval Germanic languages of central Europe, most likely emerging in the regions that now comprise Germany and the Netherlands during the late Middle Ages. The root of the name can be traced back to the Old High German word "taften" or "teften," which referred to the action of weaving or embroidering fabric.
One of the earliest documented references to the Tefteller surname appears in a Bavarian census record from the year 1437, where a family with the name "Taffteller" is listed as residing in the town of Landshut. This spelling variation suggests that the name may have initially been associated with individuals involved in the textile trade or the production of embroidered fabrics.
By the 16th century, the surname had spread across various regions of Germany, with records indicating families bearing the name Tefteller in cities like Nuremberg and Augsburg. During this period, the Tefteller name also began to appear in the Dutch-speaking regions of the Low Countries, possibly carried there by migrant artisans or merchants.
In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the Tefteller surname was Hans Tefteller (1602-1672), a respected weaver and textile merchant from the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. His successful business ventures and philanthropy contributed to the family's prominence within the local community.
Another historical figure of note was Katharina Tefteller (1718-1792), a skilled embroiderer from the town of Heidelberg, whose intricate needlework adorned the vestments of several local churches and noble households.
As the centuries progressed, the Tefteller name spread further afield, carried by waves of emigration to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas. In the 19th century, records show a Johann Tefteller (1826-1902) settling in the United States, establishing a successful textile mill in the city of Philadelphia.
Throughout its history, the surname Tefteller has maintained a strong association with the textile industry, reflecting the occupations and craftsmanship of its earliest bearers. While the name may have evolved in spelling over time, its roots remain firmly tied to the ancient art of weaving and embroidery.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tefteller
Among Census respondents with the surname Tefteller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Tefteller 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 Tefteller surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White90.1% · 273
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 15
- Two or more races4.0% · 12
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tefteller
Tefteller 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
#70,645
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 277
+13 bearers (+4.9%)
Per 100,000 0.09
Rank movement Down 1,217 places
2020
#69,752
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 303
+26 bearers (+9.4%)
Per 100,000 0.10
Rank movement Up 893 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #69,428 | 264 | 0.10 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #70,645 | 277 | 0.09 | +13 bearers (+4.9%) | Down 1,217 places |
| 2020 | #69,752 | 303 | 0.10 | +26 bearers (+9.4%) | Up 893 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 Tefteller 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 | #70,645 | #69,752 | 1.3% |
| Count | 277 | 303 | 9.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.09 | 0.10 | 12.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tefteller bearers went from 277 to 303 (+9.4% change). The surname moved up 893 positions in the national ranking, going from #70,645 to #69,752.
FAQ
Tefteller surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tefteller?
Name Census estimates that about 347 living Americans carry the surname Tefteller. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 987,765 residents.
How common is Tefteller?
Tefteller ranks #69,752 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.10 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 303 people with the surname Tefteller. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (347), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.1 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.10 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 Tefteller.
Has Tefteller become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tefteller went from 277 recorded bearers to 303. That is an increase of 26 (+9.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #70,645 to #69,752.
What does the Census say about the background of Tefteller?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tefteller, the largest self-reported group is White at 90.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Tefteller in the 2020 Census, accounting for 90.1% (273 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tefteller appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (90.1%), Hispanic (5.0%), Two or More Races (4.0%). 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 Tefteller (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 Tefteller mean?
An occupational surname derived from a Yiddish word meaning a cast iron pot maker. 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 Tefteller (0.10 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 are called Tefteller?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Tefteller at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.