2000
#131,366
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Treier
A surname derived from a German word meaning loyal or faithful.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Treier. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Treier 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Treier in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Treier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Treier
The surname TREIER originated in Germany, with its earliest known records dating back to the late 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "treiben," which means "to drive" or "to herd," suggesting that the name might have originally referred to a profession or occupation related to herding livestock.
One of the earliest documented instances of the TREIER surname can be found in the records of the town of Mönchengladbach, located in the western part of Germany, where a family by the name of TREIER is mentioned in the parish registers from the year 1598.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the TREIER name appeared in various German-speaking regions, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It is likely that the name was associated with the agricultural and pastoral communities in these areas, reflecting the rural roots of many German surnames.
In the 19th century, several notable individuals with the TREIER surname emerged. One such person was Johann Treier (1819-1892), a German teacher and writer who authored several works on education and pedagogy. Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Treier (1854-1932), a German architect known for his contributions to the construction of several churches and public buildings in the city of Berlin.
As the TREIER family spread across Germany and other parts of Europe, the name underwent slight variations in spelling, including Treyer, Treyer, and Trier. These variations were often due to regional dialects and local pronunciations.
In the early 20th century, the TREIER surname gained international recognition through the work of Hans Treier (1890-1964), a German-born artist and sculptor who spent much of his career in the United States. His works can be found in various museums and public spaces across North America.
Another notable figure with the TREIER surname was Gerhard Treier (1921-2010), a German politician and member of the Christian Democratic Union party. He served as a member of the Bundestag, the German parliament, from 1965 to 1987.
While the TREIER surname is primarily associated with Germany, it has also been documented in other parts of Europe, including Switzerland and Austria, likely due to migration and intermarriage between families from different regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Treier
Among Census respondents with the surname Treier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Treier 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 Treier surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.5% · 111
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Treier
Treier 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
+3 bearers (+2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 5,961 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-2 bearers (-1.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,722 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 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.5%) | Down 5,961 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.6%) | Down 4,722 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 Treier 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 | #137,327 | #142,049 | -3.4% |
| Count | 122 | 120 | -1.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Treier bearers went from 122 to 120 (-1.6% change). The surname moved down 4,722 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #142,049.
FAQ
Treier surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Treier?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Treier. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Treier?
Treier ranks #142,049 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 120 people with the surname Treier. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), 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 Treier.
Has Treier become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Treier went from 122 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Treier?
Among Census respondents with the surname Treier, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.5%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Treier in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.5% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Treier appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Treier (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 Treier mean?
A surname derived from a German word meaning loyal or faithful. 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 Treier (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 people have the last name Treier?
You can see how many people are called Treier on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.