2000
#121,058
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Firstenberg
German surname meaning "first" or "oldest inhabitant" of a place.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 120 Americans carry the last name Firstenberg. That puts it at #152,989 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,856,286 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Firstenberg 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
120
1 in 2,856,286
Census rank
#152,989
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
105
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 105 bearers of the surname Firstenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152989th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Firstenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Firstenberg
The surname Firstenberg has its origins in the German language, tracing back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the combination of two words: "Furst," which translates to "prince" or "ruler," and "Berg," meaning "mountain" or "hill." This suggests that the name may have originated from individuals who resided in a mountainous region associated with a local ruler or nobleman.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Firstenberg surname can be found in the town records of Heidelberg, Germany, dating back to the late 1500s. These records document a family with the name Furstenberg, which was likely an earlier spelling variation of the modern Firstenberg name.
In the 17th century, the Firstenberg name appeared in various church registers and legal documents across different regions of Germany. Notably, a Johannes Firstenberg was listed as a landowner in the village of Kirchheim in 1632, indicating the family's presence in the area during that time.
As the name spread across Europe, it underwent various spelling alterations, including Firstenburg, Fürstenberg, and Furstenberg. These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic influences.
One notable individual bearing the Firstenberg surname was Hans Firstenberg, a prominent merchant and trader who lived in the Hanseatic city of Lübeck during the late 15th century. His successful business dealings and involvement in local affairs contributed to the recognition of the name in the region.
Another historical figure was Sophia Firstenberg (1654-1732), a renowned author and philosopher from the city of Wittenberg. Her influential works on ethics and moral philosophy were widely read and discussed during the Age of Enlightenment.
In the 19th century, the Firstenberg name gained recognition with the achievements of Wilhelm Firstenberg (1813-1887), a German mathematician and astronomer. His contributions to celestial mechanics and the study of comets earned him a respected reputation within the scientific community of his time.
The name also found its way into the arts, with the painter and illustrator Emilie Firstenberg (1842-1912) gaining recognition for her vivid landscapes and portraiture. Her works were exhibited in various galleries across Europe and are now part of several prestigious art collections.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the Firstenberg name outside of Germany can be traced to the Netherlands, where a family by the name of Firstenberg settled in the city of Amsterdam in the mid-17th century. This branch of the family was involved in the shipping and maritime industries, contributing to the city's flourishing trade during the Dutch Golden Age.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Firstenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Firstenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Firstenberg 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 Firstenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 98
- Hispanic or Latino3.8% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Firstenberg
Firstenberg 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-12 bearers (-9.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 18,170 places
2020
#152,989
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
-15 bearers (-12.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 13,761 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,058 | 132 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | -12 bearers (-9.1%) | Down 18,170 places |
| 2020 | #152,989 | 105 | 0.04 | -15 bearers (-12.5%) | Down 13,761 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 Firstenberg 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 | #139,228 | #152,989 | -9.9% |
| Count | 120 | 105 | -12.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -12.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Firstenberg bearers went from 120 to 105 (-12.5% change). The surname moved down 13,761 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #152,989.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Firstenberg
FAQ
Firstenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Firstenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 120 living Americans carry the surname Firstenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,856,286 residents.
How common is Firstenberg?
Firstenberg ranks #152,989 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 105 people with the surname Firstenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (120), 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 Firstenberg.
Has Firstenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Firstenberg went from 120 recorded bearers to 105. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #152,989.
What does the Census say about the background of Firstenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Firstenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.8%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Firstenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (98 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Firstenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (3.8%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Firstenberg (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 Firstenberg mean?
German surname meaning "first" or "oldest inhabitant" of a place. 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 Firstenberg (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 common is the surname Firstenberg?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Firstenberg on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.