2010
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Triptow
A locational surname originating from a place name in Mecklenburg, Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Triptow. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Triptow 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Triptow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Triptow, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Triptow
The surname Triptow has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the 14th century. It is believed to be derived from the German word "trift," which means a place where cattle were driven to pasture, and "au," meaning a meadow or water meadow. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to a person who lived near or worked on a cattle pasture.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Triptow can be found in the city of Hamburg's historical records, dating back to 1387. It appears as "Triptouw," which likely indicates the original spelling before it evolved into its modern form.
In the 16th century, there are records of a notable figure named Hans Triptow, who was a merchant and alderman in the city of Lübeck. He was born in 1512 and played a significant role in the city's trade and governance during his lifetime.
Another prominent individual with this surname was Johann Triptow, a German theologian and reformer who lived from 1532 to 1601. He was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation and played a crucial role in the spread of Lutheranism in northern Germany.
The name Triptow can also be found in historical records from other parts of Germany, such as the region of Pomerania, where it was sometimes spelled as "Triptau" or "Triptouw." This variation in spelling was not uncommon in the past, as standardized spelling conventions were not yet established.
In the 18th century, a notable bearer of the Triptow name was Friedrich Triptow, a German composer and organist who lived from 1720 to 1785. He was particularly renowned for his compositions for the organ and his contributions to church music.
Another individual of note was Karl Triptow, a German artist and painter who lived from 1821 to 1895. He was known for his landscapes and genre paintings, which captured the daily life and scenery of rural Germany during the 19th century.
While the surname Triptow is not as common as some other German surnames, it has a rich history rooted in the country's past. Its origins can be traced back to the 14th century, and it has been borne by notable figures in various fields, including commerce, religion, music, and art, over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Triptow
Among Census respondents with the surname Triptow, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Triptow 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 Triptow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.1% · 102
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
- Two or more races1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Triptow
Triptow appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-4 bearers (-3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 2,537 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -4 bearers (-3.7%) | Down 2,537 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 Triptow 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 | #150,452 | #152,989 | -1.7% |
| Count | 109 | 105 | -3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Triptow bearers went from 109 to 105 (-3.7% change). The surname moved down 2,537 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #152,989.
FAQ
Triptow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Triptow?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Triptow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Triptow?
Triptow ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Triptow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Triptow.
Has Triptow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Triptow went from 109 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 4 (-3.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #150,452 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Triptow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Triptow, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.1%. The next largest groups are Black (1.0%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Triptow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.1% (102 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Triptow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.1%), Black (1.0%), American Indian/Alaska Native (1.0%). 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 Triptow (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 Triptow mean?
A locational surname originating from a place name in Mecklenburg, Germany. 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 Triptow (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 common is the surname Triptow?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Triptow is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.