2010
#156,044
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Utendorf
A locational surname derived from a place name, likely a town or village in Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 107 Americans carry the last name Utendorf. That puts it at #156,616 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,203,312 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Utendorf 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
107
1 in 3,203,312
Census rank
#156,616
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
93
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 93 bearers of the surname Utendorf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156616th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Utendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Utendorf
The surname Utendorf has its origins in Germany, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from a place name, indicating that the earliest bearers of this name hailed from a specific location.
One of the earliest records of the name Utendorf can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 9th to the 13th centuries. The name appears in these records with various spellings, such as Utendorff and Uttendorff, reflecting the regional variations in language and dialect.
The name Utendorf is likely a compound word, with the prefix "Ut" or "Ut-" referring to a specific geographic feature, such as a river or a valley, and the suffix "-dorf" meaning "village" or "settlement" in German. This suggests that the name originated from a village or settlement located near a distinctive geographic feature.
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Utendorf was Hans Utendorf, a skilled craftsman and woodcarver who was commissioned to create intricate altarpieces and religious sculptures for churches in the region of Bavaria. His works, which showcased his exceptional talent and attention to detail, can still be admired in several churches throughout southern Germany.
During the 16th century, the Utendorf family had a strong presence in the city of Nuremberg, where they were involved in the thriving textile trade. Johann Utendorf (1512-1588), a wealthy merchant and banker, was known for his philanthropic efforts and his support of the arts and education in the city.
In the 18th century, a distinguished scholar and philosopher named Friedrich Utendorf (1725-1798) made significant contributions to the intellectual discourse of the Enlightenment period. His writings on ethics, metaphysics, and the nature of knowledge earned him recognition across Europe, and he was invited to lecture at several prestigious universities.
Another notable bearer of the Utendorf name was Elise Utendorf (1841-1912), a pioneering educator and advocate for women's rights. She established several schools for girls in Germany and campaigned tirelessly for equal educational opportunities for women, challenging the societal norms of her time.
Throughout its history, the surname Utendorf has been associated with various professions and disciplines, from craftsmen and merchants to scholars and educators. While the specific origins of the name may remain shrouded in the mists of time, its enduring presence across centuries serves as a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Utendorf
Among Census respondents with the surname Utendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Utendorf 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 Utendorf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 93
Timeline
Historical Census data for Utendorf
Utendorf 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
#156,616
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 93
-11 bearers (-10.6%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 572 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #156,044 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,616 | 93 | 0.03 | -11 bearers (-10.6%) | Down 572 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 Utendorf 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 | #156,044 | #156,616 | -0.4% |
| Count | 104 | 93 | -10.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -22.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Utendorf bearers went from 104 to 93 (-10.6% change). The surname moved down 572 positions in the national ranking, going from #156,044 to #156,616.
FAQ
Utendorf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Utendorf?
Name Census estimates that about 107 living Americans carry the surname Utendorf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,203,312 residents.
How common is Utendorf?
Utendorf ranks #156,616 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 93 people with the surname Utendorf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (107), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Utendorf.
Has Utendorf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Utendorf went from 104 recorded bearers to 93. That is a decrease of 11 (-10.6%). In the national ranking it fell from #156,044 to #156,616.
What does the Census say about the background of Utendorf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Utendorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Utendorf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (93 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Utendorf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Utendorf (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 Utendorf mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name, likely a town or village in 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 Utendorf (0.03 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 Utendorf?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how common the surname Utendorf is at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.