2000
#142,819
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Windfelder
A German surname derived from a place name meaning 'windy field' or 'open field exposed to wind'.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Windfelder. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Windfelder 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Windfelder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Windfelder, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Windfelder
The surname Windfelder originates from Germany, specifically from the regions traditionally known as Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The name is believed to have emerged during the late Middle Ages, around the 14th or 15th centuries. The name is of toponymic origin, meaning it derives from a geographic or topographic feature associated with the original bearers of the name.
The surname Windfelder is composed of two elements: "Wind" and "Felder." The word "Wind" is derived from the Old High German "wind," meaning "wind," and "Felder" comes from the Old High German "feld," which translates to "field" or "open land." Together, the name Windfelder might be interpreted to mean "fields exposed to the wind" or "windy fields." This suggests that the original bearers of the name lived or worked in an open, wind-exposed area, likely as farmers or landowners.
Historical references to the name Windfelder can be traced back to several medieval records. A notable early mention is found in a 1454 Bavarian land registry document where a Johannes Windfelder is listed as a tenant farmer in the region near present-day Nuremberg. This suggests an early presence of the name in southern Germany. The spelling has remained relatively consistent over time, as reflected in various subsequent records.
An examination of historic manuscripts reveals another early example: a Hans Windfelder, who appears in tax records from 1510. During the 16th century, the name is found in church records, particularly in association with baptisms, marriages, and burials. One such record mentions a Margarethe Windfelder, baptized in 1573 in the village of Ulm, further cementing the name's presence in the region.
Noteworthy individuals bearing the surname include Heinrich Windfelder (1704-1765), a prominent figure in the 18th century, known for his contributions to the agricultural advancements in Westphalia. Another notable person was Eva Windfelder (1832-1901), a mid-19th century suffrage activist from Munich, who played a pivotal role in the early women's rights movement in Germany.
In the realm of arts, Otto Windfelder (1892-1958) gained recognition in the early 20th century as a celebrated painter and sculptor from Stuttgart. His works, focusing on rural and pastoral scenes, often depicted the windy fields that his surname poetically describes.
In military history, Captain Friedrich Windfelder (1899-1945), an officer in the German Wehrmacht during World War II, is remembered for his strategic defensive maneuvers during the Battle of Stalingrad.
Collectively, these records and historical references not only attest to the antiquity of the surname Windfelder but also highlight the diverse contributions of its bearers throughout German history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Windfelder
Among Census respondents with the surname Windfelder, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Windfelder 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 Windfelder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White88.1% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino5.9% · 7
- Two or more races4.2% · 5
- Black or African American0.8% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Windfelder
Windfelder 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
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 330 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 362 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #142,819 | 107 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Down 330 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 362 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 Windfelder 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 | #143,149 | #143,511 | -0.3% |
| Count | 116 | 118 | 1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Windfelder bearers went from 116 to 118 (+1.7% change). The surname moved down 362 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #143,511.
FAQ
Windfelder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Windfelder?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Windfelder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Windfelder?
Windfelder ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Windfelder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Windfelder.
Has Windfelder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Windfelder went from 116 recorded bearers to 118. That is an increase of 2 (+1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Windfelder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Windfelder, the largest self-reported group is White at 88.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.9%) and Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Windfelder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 88.1% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Windfelder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (88.1%), Hispanic (5.9%), Two or More Races (4.2%). 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 Windfelder (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 Windfelder mean?
A German surname derived from a place name meaning 'windy field' or 'open field exposed to wind'. 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 Windfelder (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 surname Windfelder?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.