2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Thierbach
A German surname derived from the elements "tier" (animal) and "bach" (stream or brook), indicating someone who lived near a stream frequented by animals.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Thierbach. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Thierbach 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Thierbach in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Thierbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Thierbach
The surname Thierbach is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 15th century. It is derived from the German words "tier," meaning animal, and "bach," referring to a small stream or brook. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near a stream or body of water where animals would gather.
The earliest recorded instances of the Thierbach name can be found in various medieval German records and documents from regions such as Bavaria and Saxony. One notable example is Johannes Thierbach, a merchant who was documented in the city of Nuremberg in the late 1400s.
In the 16th century, the Thierbach name appeared in various church records and local histories, often associated with small villages or towns in central and southern Germany. For instance, there are records of a family named Thierbach residing in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in the 1500s.
As the centuries progressed, the Thierbach name spread across different regions of Germany and even into neighboring countries. In the 18th century, there are records of a Johann Thierbach, a Lutheran pastor who served in the town of Saalfeld, in present-day Thuringia, Germany, from 1712 to 1751.
Another notable figure was Friedrich Thierbach, a German philosopher and educator who lived from 1784 to 1860. He was born in the town of Meiningen and is known for his contributions to the field of pedagogy and his work on moral education.
In the 19th century, a family of Thierbachs gained prominence in the region of Saxony. One member, Hermann Thierbach, was a successful businessman and industrialist who established a textile manufacturing company in the city of Chemnitz in the 1860s.
While the Thierbach name has its roots in Germany, it has also spread to other parts of the world through emigration. For example, there are records of individuals with the surname Thierbach living in the United States, Canada, and other countries with German immigrant communities.
Overall, the surname Thierbach reflects a rich history and heritage, with its origins tracing back to medieval Germany and its association with rural areas and small towns. Despite its geographic spread, the name has maintained its connection to its German roots and continues to be a part of the cultural fabric of various German-speaking regions around the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Thierbach
Among Census respondents with the surname Thierbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Thierbach 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 Thierbach surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Hispanic or Latino5.0% · 6
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 1
- Two or more races0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Thierbach
Thierbach 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
-4 bearers (-3.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,966 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
-9 bearers (-6.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 10,699 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.0%) | Down 10,966 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | -9 bearers (-6.9%) | Down 10,699 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 Thierbach 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 | #130,610 | #141,309 | -8.2% |
| Count | 130 | 121 | -6.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Thierbach bearers went from 130 to 121 (-6.9% change). The surname moved down 10,699 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #141,309.
FAQ
Thierbach surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Thierbach?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Thierbach. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Thierbach?
Thierbach ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Thierbach. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Thierbach.
Has Thierbach become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Thierbach went from 130 recorded bearers to 121. That is a decrease of 9 (-6.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Thierbach?
Among Census respondents with the surname Thierbach, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.0%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Thierbach in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Thierbach appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Hispanic (5.0%), Black (0.8%). 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 Thierbach (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 Thierbach mean?
A German surname derived from the elements "tier" (animal) and "bach" (stream or brook), indicating someone who lived near a stream frequented by animals. 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 Thierbach (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 many Americans have the surname Thierbach?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.