2000
#38,464
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 541
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Zipfel
A German surname possibly derived from the word for "pointed end" or "tip".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 611 Americans carry the last name Zipfel. That puts it at #43,628 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 560,973 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Zipfel 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
611
1 in 560,973
Census rank
#43,628
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
533
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 533 bearers of the surname Zipfel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 43628th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Zipfel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Black (0.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Zipfel
The surname Zipfel has its origins in Germany, specifically from the southern regions such as Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. The name is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, possibly in the 13th or 14th century. It derives from the Middle High German word "zipfel," which means "point" or "tip." This could have been a topographical reference to someone who lived at the end of a hill or a protruding piece of land, or it could pertain to someone with a distinctive pointed feature.
Historical references to the surname Zipfel can be traced back to various medieval records and manuscripts. One of the earliest mentions of the name appears in a church record from the town of Ulm in the year 1337, where a Conrad Zipfel is listed as a landowner. This suggests that the surname was already established and recognized within certain communities by the early 14th century.
In the 16th century, the name Zipfel appears in tax records from the region of Württemberg. A notable individual from this period is Johannes Zipfel, born in 1542, who was a merchant in Stuttgart. He played a significant role in local trade and is mentioned in several merchants' guild records. His contributions to the economic activities of the region highlight the presence and influence of the Zipfel family during this era.
Another significant figure in the history of the surname is Christoph Zipfel, a Protestant minister born in 1660 in Augsburg. Known for his theological writings and active participation in the religious debates of his time, Christoph Zipfel's works are still referenced in theological studies today. His involvement in the early Protestant movement underscores the intellectual and religious contributions of individuals bearing the name.
In the 18th century, the name Zipfel appears in military records. Friedrich Wilhelm Zipfel, born in 1741, served as an officer in the Prussian army during the Seven Years' War. His military career is documented in various regimental histories, marking the Zipfel surname's association with German martial traditions.
The 19th century saw the name migrate beyond the German-speaking regions, particularly with the waves of emigration to the United States. One notable emigrant was Heinrich Zipfel, who was born in 1827 in Baden and emigrated to Wisconsin in 1852. He established a successful farm and became a prominent figure in his local community. Heinrich's story is documented in local histories of German-American settlements, illustrating the spread and adaptation of the surname across different continents.
Throughout history, the surname Zipfel has been associated with various occupations and social standings, from landowners and merchants to religious leaders and military officers. Each individual bearing the name contributed to its rich and diverse history, reflecting the social and cultural developments of their respective eras.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Zipfel
Among Census respondents with the surname Zipfel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Black (0.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Zipfel 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 Zipfel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White96.4% · 514
- Hispanic or Latino2.1% · 11
- Black or African American0.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 3
- Two or more races0.2% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Zipfel
Zipfel 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
#39,773
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 552
+11 bearers (+2.0%)
Per 100,000 0.19
Rank movement Down 1,309 places
2020
#43,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 533
-19 bearers (-3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.18
Rank movement Down 3,855 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #38,464 | 541 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #39,773 | 552 | 0.19 | +11 bearers (+2.0%) | Down 1,309 places |
| 2020 | #43,628 | 533 | 0.18 | -19 bearers (-3.4%) | Down 3,855 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 Zipfel 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 | #39,773 | #43,628 | -9.7% |
| Count | 552 | 533 | -3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.19 | 0.18 | -6.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Zipfel bearers went from 552 to 533 (-3.4% change). The surname moved down 3,855 positions in the national ranking, going from #39,773 to #43,628.
FAQ
Zipfel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Zipfel?
Name Census estimates that about 611 living Americans carry the surname Zipfel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 560,973 residents.
How common is Zipfel?
Zipfel ranks #43,628 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.18 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 533 people with the surname Zipfel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (611), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.18 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 Zipfel.
Has Zipfel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Zipfel went from 552 recorded bearers to 533. That is a decrease of 19 (-3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #39,773 to #43,628.
What does the Census say about the background of Zipfel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Zipfel, the largest self-reported group is White at 96.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.1%) and Black (0.8%). 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 Zipfel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 96.4% (514 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Zipfel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (96.4%), Hispanic (2.1%), Black (0.8%). 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 Zipfel (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 Zipfel mean?
A German surname possibly derived from the word for "pointed end" or "tip". 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 Zipfel (0.18 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 Zipfel?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.