2000
#16,373
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,619
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.60
Rare Last name
Tetzlaff
A German surname derived from a topographic name referring to a meadow or clearing.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,820 Americans carry the last name Tetzlaff. That puts it at #17,418 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 188,327 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Tetzlaff 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
1.8K
1 in 188,327
Census rank
#17,418
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,587 bearers of the surname Tetzlaff in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 17418th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Tetzlaff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Tetzlaff
Among Census respondents with the surname Tetzlaff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (2.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Tetzlaff 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 Tetzlaff surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 1,480
- Two or more races2.7% · 43
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 42
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 9
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 7
- Black or African American0.4% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Tetzlaff
Tetzlaff 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
#17,419
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,620
+1 bearers (+0.1%)
Per 100,000 0.55
Rank movement Down 1,046 places
2020
#17,418
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,587
-33 bearers (-2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.53
Rank movement Up 1 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #16,373 | 1,619 | 0.60 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #17,419 | 1,620 | 0.55 | +1 bearers (+0.1%) | Down 1,046 places |
| 2020 | #17,418 | 1,587 | 0.53 | -33 bearers (-2.0%) | Up 1 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 Tetzlaff 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 | #17,419 | #17,418 | 0.0% |
| Count | 1,620 | 1,587 | -2.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.55 | 0.53 | -3.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Tetzlaff bearers went from 1,620 to 1,587 (-2.0% change). The surname moved up 1 positions in the national ranking, going from #17,419 to #17,418.
FAQ
Tetzlaff surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Tetzlaff?
Name Census estimates that about 1,820 living Americans carry the surname Tetzlaff. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 188,327 residents.
How common is Tetzlaff?
Tetzlaff ranks #17,418 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.53 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,587 people with the surname Tetzlaff. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,820), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.53 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.53 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Tetzlaff.
Has Tetzlaff become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Tetzlaff went from 1,620 recorded bearers to 1,587. That is a decrease of 33 (-2.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #17,419 to #17,418.
What does the Census say about the background of Tetzlaff?
Among Census respondents with the surname Tetzlaff, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (2.7%) and Hispanic (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 Tetzlaff in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (1,480 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Tetzlaff appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Two or More Races (2.7%), Hispanic (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 Tetzlaff (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 Tetzlaff mean?
A German surname derived from a topographic name referring to a meadow or clearing. 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 Tetzlaff (0.53 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 Tetzlaff?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.