2000
#125,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Vossberg
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "fox hill" in German.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Vossberg. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vossberg 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Vossberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vossberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vossberg
The surname VOSSBERG is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German words "Voss" and "Berg," which translate to "fox" and "mountain" or "hill," respectively. This combination suggests that the name may have originated in a mountainous or hilly region where foxes were prevalent.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the VOSSBERG name can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the Kingdom of Saxony, dated around the 13th century. This suggests that the name was prevalent in the Saxon region of Germany during that time period.
In the 16th century, the VOSSBERG name appeared in various historical records, including the Kirchenbücher (church books) of various German communities. These records often documented births, marriages, and deaths, providing valuable insights into the lives of individuals bearing this surname.
One notable figure in the history of the VOSSBERG name was Johannes VOSSBERG (1556-1629), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Wittenberg. His writings on theology and philosophy were influential during the Protestant Reformation.
Another individual of significance was Hans VOSSBERG (1673-1742), a German architect and mason who contributed to the construction of several notable buildings in the city of Dresden, including the famous Zwinger Palace.
In the 19th century, the VOSSBERG name gained prominence with the birth of Wilhelm VOSSBERG (1818-1899), a German painter and etcher known for his landscape and genre scenes. His works were exhibited in various galleries across Europe and are now part of several museum collections.
The name VOSSBERG also has connections to various place names in Germany, such as Vossberg, a municipality in the district of Hersfeld-Rotenburg in Hesse, and Vossberge, a hill range in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. These place names may have influenced the spelling and pronunciation of the surname over time.
Throughout history, the VOSSBERG surname has been associated with various professions, from theologians and philosophers to architects and artists. While the name's origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages in Germany, its bearers have left their mark across various fields and regions over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vossberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Vossberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Vossberg 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 Vossberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.5% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vossberg
Vossberg 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
#130,610
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 130
+4 bearers (+3.2%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,971 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-17 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,611 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #125,639 | 126 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #130,610 | 130 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.2%) | Down 4,971 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 16,611 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 Vossberg 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 | #130,610 | #147,221 | -12.7% |
| Count | 130 | 113 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vossberg bearers went from 130 to 113 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 16,611 positions in the national ranking, going from #130,610 to #147,221.
FAQ
Vossberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vossberg?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Vossberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Vossberg?
Vossberg ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Vossberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Vossberg.
Has Vossberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vossberg went from 130 recorded bearers to 113. That is a decrease of 17 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #130,610 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Vossberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vossberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Vossberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.5% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vossberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.5%), Hispanic (3.5%). 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 Vossberg (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 Vossberg mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name meaning "fox hill" in German. 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 Vossberg (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 are called Vossberg?
You can see how common the surname Vossberg is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.