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

Toepfer, 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 Toepfer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Toepfer in America

Toepfer is the 20961st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Toepfer surname appeared 1,256 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Toepfer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Toepfer 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.

The history of the last name Toepfer

The surname Toepfer originated in Germany during the late medieval period. It is derived from the Middle Low German word 'Töpfer', which translates to 'potter' or 'maker of earthenware vessels'. The name likely referred to the occupation of the original bearer, who was a potter by trade.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be traced back to the 14th and 15th centuries in various regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. The name was often spelled in various ways, including Töpfer, Töppfer, and Toeppfer, reflecting the regional dialects and scribal variations of the time.

One of the earliest known references to the name Toepfer can be found in the Bürgermatrikel (Citizen Registry) of the city of Leipzig, dating back to the late 15th century. The registry lists several individuals with the surname Töpfer, indicating their presence in the urban centers of the region.

During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Toepfer began to spread across different parts of Germany and neighboring regions as families migrated or established new roots. Notable individuals bearing this surname include Johann Töpfer (1572-1639), a Lutheran pastor and theologian from Saxony, and Johann Gottfried Töpfer (1791-1870), a German painter and illustrator from Weimar.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the Toepfer surname continued to be found in various parts of Germany, as well as in regions with significant German populations, such as parts of Eastern Europe and the United States. Notable individuals from this period include Ernst Toepfer (1792-1872), a German jurist and politician from Saxony, and Christian Toepfer (1837-1914), a German-born American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Toepfer Construction Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

As the Toepfer name spread across different regions, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Töpfer, Toepfer, and Toepffer, reflecting the linguistic and cultural influences of the areas where the name was adopted.

Throughout history, the surname Toepfer has been associated with a variety of occupations, including potters, artisans, merchants, and professionals in various fields, reflecting the diverse paths taken by families bearing this name over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Toepfer

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

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 Toepfer was:

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 Toepfer has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

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 Toepfer was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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