Explore the Family Name Barfknecht

The meaning of Barfknecht

German: 1. most probably a nickname from Middle Low German berve (bederve, modern bieder) ‘honest, trustworthy’ + knecht ‘vassal, man, servant’. 2. alternatively, perhaps a variant of Barbknecht, an occupational name or nickname for a barber’s assistant, from Barb(ier) ‘barber’ + knecht ‘servant’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Barfknecht in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Barfknecht saw a slight increase between 2000 and 2010. While its rank improved from 49,965 to 49,268, signifying an upward shift of 1.39%, the total count of people with this surname also grew by 8.38% within these ten years, from 394 to 427 individuals. However, when considering proportion per 100k, there was a minor decrease of -6.67%.

20002010Change
Rank#49,965#49,2681.39%
Count3944278.38%
Proportion per 100k0.150.14-6.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Barfknecht

Looking at the ethnic identity associated with the surname Barfknecht, the data from the Decennial U.S. Census shows that the majority identify as White, although this percentage slightly declined from 98.22% in 2000 to 96.96% in 2010. The percentage of those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native in 2000 (1.27%) decreased to zero by 2010. Notably, a new ethnicity emerged in 2010, with 2.11% identifying as Hispanic. There were no changes for Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, or those identifying with two or more races, where the data either remained static at zero or was suppressed for privacy.

20002010Change
White98.22%96.96%-1.28%
Hispanic0%2.11%0%
Asian/Pacific Islander0%0%0%
Two or More Races0%0%0%
Black0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native1.27%0%0%