Tetzlaff last name popularity, history, and meaning

Find out how popular the last name Tetzlaff is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Tetzlaff.

Meaning of Tetzlaff

A German surname derived from a topographic name referring to a meadow or clearing.

Tetzlaff, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Tetzlaff surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Tetzlaff in America

Tetzlaff is the 17419th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Tetzlaff surname appeared 1,620 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Tetzlaff.

We can also compare 2010 data for Tetzlaff to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 17419 16373 6.19%
Count 1,620 1,619 0.06%
Proportion per 100k 0.55 0.60 -8.70%

The history of the last name Tetzlaff

The surname Tetzlaff originates from Germany, with roots dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Tetzel," which means "small vessel" or "container." This name likely referred to a potter or someone who crafted small containers or vessels as a trade.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tetzlaff can be found in the parish records of Saxony, Germany, in the late 1500s. The name appears to have been prevalent in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Saxony and Brandenburg.

In the 17th century, there are records of a prominent German theologian named Theodor Tetzlaff (1620-1666) who served as a professor of theology at the University of Leipzig. His works and teachings contributed significantly to the development of Lutheran theology during that time.

Another notable figure with the surname Tetzlaff was Friedrich Tetzlaff (1815-1899), a German violinist and composer who gained recognition for his virtuosic violin performances and compositions. He toured extensively throughout Europe and was considered one of the leading violinists of his era.

In the 19th century, the name Tetzlaff appeared in various regions of Germany, with some families migrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One such individual was Franz Tetzlaff (1868-1937), a German-American artist and illustrator known for his work in the Golden Age of Illustration.

The Tetzlaff name can also be traced back to the town of Tetzlaffshagen in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany, which likely derived its name from an early settler or landowner with the surname Tetzlaff. This connection to a place name further underscores the German origins of the surname.

Throughout history, there have been several other notable individuals bearing the Tetzlaff surname, including Karl Tetzlaff (1892-1970), a German-American violinist and teacher who performed with major orchestras and taught at prestigious music institutions in the United States.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Tetzlaff

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Tetzlaff.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

  1. White only
  2. Black only
  3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
  4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
  5. Hispanic
  6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Tetzlaff was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.37% 1,545
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.43% 7
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 1.05% 17
Hispanic Origin 2.72% 44

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Tetzlaff has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.37% 96.97% -1.66%
Black (S)% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.37% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.43% 0.37% 15.00%
Two or More Races 1.05% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 2.72% 1.79% 41.24%

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Tetzlaff was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Tetzlaff, please contact us.

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"Tetzlaff last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on November 4, 2024. http://namecensus.com/last-names/tetzlaff-surname-popularity/.

"Tetzlaff last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/tetzlaff-surname-popularity/. Accessed 4 November, 2024

Tetzlaff last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/tetzlaff-surname-popularity/.

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