2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Tetmeyer
A Dutch surname derived from the given name Dietmar.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Tetmeyer. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tetmeyer 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Tetmeyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tetmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Tetmeyer
The surname TETMEYER is of German origin, originating in the regions of Lower Saxony and Westphalia during the late Middle Ages. It is derived from the Old German words "teydt" meaning "divide" and "meyer" meaning "steward" or "manager." This suggests that the original bearers of the name were likely involved in the management or division of land or agricultural holdings.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Osnabrück, dating back to the 15th century. The name appears as "Teitmeyer" in a document from 1463, referring to a landowner named Henrich Teitmeyer. This spelling variation highlights the fluid nature of surnames during that period, with regional dialects and scribal interpretations contributing to different spellings.
In the 16th century, the name is mentioned in the records of the Duchy of Saxe-Lauenburg, where a Claes Tetmeyer is listed as a tenant farmer in the village of Mölln in 1543. This suggests that the name had spread beyond its initial origins and was becoming more widespread in northern Germany.
As the centuries progressed, the name continued to appear in various historical records and documents. One notable figure was Johann Friedrich Tetmeyer, a Lutheran theologian and author born in Hanover in 1709. His work "Theologia Naturalis" published in 1738, was widely influential in the field of natural theology.
Another individual of note was Carl Tetmeyer, a German artist and engraver born in Osnabrück in 1770. His engravings and etchings, often depicting landscapes and architectural subjects, were highly regarded during his lifetime and are now held in several museum collections.
In the 19th century, the name gained further recognition with the birth of Wilhelm Tetmeyer in 1826 in Hannover. He went on to become a prominent banker and industrialist, establishing several successful businesses and contributing significantly to the economic development of the region.
As the name spread beyond its German origins, it also found its way to other parts of Europe and eventually to the Americas through immigration. One notable example is August Tetmeyer, a German-American architect born in 1865, who designed several notable buildings in New York City in the early 20th century, including the iconic Flatiron Building.
While the TETMEYER surname has its roots in the agricultural and land management traditions of medieval Germany, it has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including theologians, artists, industrialists, and architects, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and historical landscape of both Germany and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tetmeyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Tetmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tetmeyer 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 Tetmeyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White85.3% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino8.6% · 10
- Two or more races2.6% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tetmeyer
Tetmeyer 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
+7 bearers (+5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,497 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
-10 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,165 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #131,366 | 119 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | +7 bearers (+5.9%) | Down 2,497 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 11,165 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 Tetmeyer 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 | #133,863 | #145,028 | -8.3% |
| Count | 126 | 116 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tetmeyer bearers went from 126 to 116 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 11,165 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #145,028.
FAQ
Tetmeyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tetmeyer?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Tetmeyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Tetmeyer?
Tetmeyer ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Tetmeyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Tetmeyer.
Has Tetmeyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tetmeyer went from 126 recorded bearers to 116. That is a decrease of 10 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Tetmeyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tetmeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 85.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.6%) and Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Tetmeyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 85.3% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tetmeyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (85.3%), Hispanic (8.6%), Two or More Races (2.6%). 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 Tetmeyer (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 Tetmeyer mean?
A Dutch surname derived from the given name Dietmar. 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 Tetmeyer (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 Tetmeyer?
Want to know how many people have the last name Tetmeyer? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.