2000
#8,302
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,669
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.36
Rare Last name
Vogler
An occupational surname referring to a bird-catcher or fowler, derived from the German word "Vogel" meaning "bird."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,065 Americans carry the last name Vogler. That puts it at #8,870 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,318 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vogler 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
4.1K
1 in 84,318
Census rank
#8,870
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,545 bearers of the surname Vogler in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8870th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vogler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vogler
The surname Vogler is of German origin and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "Vogler," which means "fowler" or "birdcatcher." This occupation-based surname was likely given to individuals who worked as fowlers or bird catchers in medieval times.
The name Vogler is first recorded in historical documents from the 13th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern and central parts of the country. Some of the earliest records mentioning the name can be found in the city archives of Nuremberg, Bavaria.
One of the earliest known bearers of the name Vogler was Hans Vogler, a birdcatcher who lived in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, in the late 15th century. His name is mentioned in the town's tax records from the year 1487.
In the 16th century, the name Vogler appeared in various historical records, including the "Reichsmatrikel" (Imperial Matriculation Register) of the Holy Roman Empire from 1521, which lists several individuals with the surname Vogler from different regions.
During the 17th century, the name Vogler became more widespread across Germany, and some notable individuals emerged. One of them was Georg Joseph Vogler (1749-1814), a renowned German composer, music theorist, and organist who was born in Würzburg, Bavaria.
Another prominent figure with the surname Vogler was Johann Caspar Vogler (1696-1763), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Giessen in Hesse. He was known for his works on natural law and moral philosophy.
In the 19th century, the name Vogler continued to be found throughout Germany, as well as in other parts of Europe where German immigrants had settled. One notable bearer of the name was Heinrich Vogler (1834-1895), a German painter and illustrator who was born in Ludwigsburg, Württemberg.
Other historical figures with the surname Vogler include Friedrich Vogler (1892-1973), a German architect and urban planner from Munich, and Max Vogler (1905-1989), a German film director and screenwriter who worked in the German film industry during the 1930s and 1940s.
While the surname Vogler has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world, particularly through German immigration to countries like the United States, Canada, and Australia. However, its historical origins can be traced back to the occupational role of fowlers or birdcatchers in medieval Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vogler
Among Census respondents with the surname Vogler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Vogler 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 Vogler surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 3,281
- Two or more races3.0% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 96
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 27
- Black or African American0.6% · 21
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vogler
Vogler 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
#8,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,721
+52 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 1.26
Rank movement Down 499 places
2020
#8,870
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,545
-176 bearers (-4.7%)
Per 100,000 1.19
Rank movement Down 69 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,302 | 3,669 | 1.36 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,801 | 3,721 | 1.26 | +52 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 499 places |
| 2020 | #8,870 | 3,545 | 1.19 | -176 bearers (-4.7%) | Down 69 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 Vogler 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 | #8,801 | #8,870 | -0.8% |
| Count | 3,721 | 3,545 | -4.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.26 | 1.19 | -5.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vogler bearers went from 3,721 to 3,545 (-4.7% change). The surname moved down 69 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,801 to #8,870.
FAQ
Vogler surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vogler?
Name Census estimates that about 4,065 living Americans carry the surname Vogler. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,318 residents.
How common is Vogler?
Vogler ranks #8,870 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.19 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,545 people with the surname Vogler. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,065), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.19 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.19 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Vogler.
Has Vogler become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vogler went from 3,721 recorded bearers to 3,545. That is a decrease of 176 (-4.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,801 to #8,870.
What does the Census say about the background of Vogler?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vogler, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.0%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Vogler in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (3,281 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vogler appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Two or More Races (3.0%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Vogler (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 Vogler mean?
An occupational surname referring to a bird-catcher or fowler, derived from the German word "Vogel" meaning "bird." 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 Vogler (1.19 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 Vogler?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans have the surname Vogler at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.