Explore the Family Name Pfotenhauer
The meaning of Pfotenhauer
South German: from Middle High German phatte, vade, vate ‘fence post, roof beam, purlin’ + an agent derivative of houwen ‘to cut or hew’, hence an occupational name for a maker of posts and beams, although the folk-etymological translation of the name would be ‘paw slapper’.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Pfotenhauer in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census, the popularity of the surname Pfotenhauer has seen a slight increase from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the Pfotenhauer family name held the rank of 67,113 and was carried by approximately 275 individuals in the U.S. By 2010, the rank had risen to 64,388 with an estimated 309 people holding the Pfotenhauer surname, signifying a growth of 4.06% over the decade. Despite this growth, the proportion per 100,000 population remained at 0.1.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #67,113 | #64,388 | 4.06% |
| Count | 275 | 309 | 12.36% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Pfotenhauer
The ethnicity distribution of the Pfotenhauer surname, as determined by the Decennial U.S. Census, shows it is predominantly associated with individuals of White ethnic identity. In 2000, 93.82% of Pfotenhauers identified as white, which saw a tiny decrease to 93.53% in 2010. There was also a small representation within those identifying with two or more races, declining from 3.27% in 2000 to 2.27% in 2010. Interestingly, while there were no individuals identifying as Hispanic in 2000, by 2010, this group represented 1.94% of Pfotenhauers. The data for Asian/Pacific Islander, Black, and American Indian and Alaskan Native were either zero or suppressed for privacy (S).
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 93.82% | 93.53% | -0.31% |
| Two or More Races | 3.27% | 2.27% | -30.58% |
| Hispanic | 0% | 1.94% | 0% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| Black | 0% | 0% | 0% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0% | 0% | 0% |