2000
#118,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 135
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Muhleisen
A German surname meaning "miller of iron ore", derived from German "Mühle" (mill) and "Eisen" (iron).
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 180 Americans carry the last name Muhleisen. That puts it at #117,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.05 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,904,191 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Muhleisen 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
180
1 in 1,904,191
Census rank
#117,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
157
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 157 bearers of the surname Muhleisen in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.05 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 117309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Muhleisen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (0.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Muhleisen
The surname MUHLEISEN is of German origin, originating from the state of Baden-Württemberg in southwestern Germany. It dates back to the 16th century and is derived from the German words "Mühle," meaning mill, and "Eisen," meaning iron. This suggests that the name was likely associated with a miller or someone who worked with iron in a mill.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name MUHLEISEN can be found in the town records of Pforzheim, Baden-Württemberg, from the year 1587, where a person named Hans MUHLEISEN is mentioned as a resident of the town. This indicates that the name was already well-established in the region by the late 16th century.
In the 17th century, the name MUHLEISEN appears in various church records and tax registers across Baden-Württemberg, suggesting that the family had spread to different parts of the region. One notable individual from this time was Johann Christoph MUHLEISEN (1645-1720), a respected blacksmith and metalworker in the town of Calw.
During the 18th century, the MUHLEISEN name continued to be prevalent in southwestern Germany. In 1732, a man named Georg Friedrich MUHLEISEN (1703-1785) was born in Pforzheim. He later became a prominent miller and established a successful flour mill in the town, further solidifying the connection between the name and the milling profession.
In the 19th century, the MUHLEISEN family expanded beyond the borders of Baden-Württemberg as some members migrated to other parts of Germany and even to other countries. One such individual was Karl MUHLEISEN (1822-1898), who was born in Pforzheim but later moved to the United States, where he became a successful businessman in the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Another notable figure from this period was Friedrich MUHLEISEN (1857-1927), a German engineer and inventor who was born in Calw. He is credited with developing several innovative machines and mechanisms used in the textile industry, further contributing to the family's legacy in the field of metalworking and machinery.
Throughout its history, the surname MUHLEISEN has been associated with various occupations related to mills, ironworking, and machinery. While the name may have originated from a specific trade or profession, it has since become a widespread surname carried by individuals from diverse backgrounds and professions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Muhleisen
Among Census respondents with the surname Muhleisen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (0.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Muhleisen 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 Muhleisen surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 143
- Hispanic or Latino6.4% · 10
- Black or African American0.6% · 1
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 1
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 1
- Two or more races0.6% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Muhleisen
Muhleisen 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
#116,829
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 149
+14 bearers (+10.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,125 places
2020
#117,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 157
+8 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Down 480 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #118,954 | 135 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #116,829 | 149 | 0.05 | +14 bearers (+10.4%) | Up 2,125 places |
| 2020 | #117,309 | 157 | 0.05 | +8 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 480 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 Muhleisen 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 | #116,829 | #117,309 | -0.4% |
| Count | 149 | 157 | 5.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.05 | 5.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Muhleisen bearers went from 149 to 157 (+5.4% change). The surname moved down 480 positions in the national ranking, going from #116,829 to #117,309.
FAQ
Muhleisen surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Muhleisen?
Name Census estimates that about 180 living Americans carry the surname Muhleisen. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,904,191 residents.
How common is Muhleisen?
Muhleisen ranks #117,309 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.05 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 157 people with the surname Muhleisen. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (180), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.05 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.05 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 Muhleisen.
Has Muhleisen become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Muhleisen went from 149 recorded bearers to 157. That is an increase of 8 (+5.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #116,829 to #117,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Muhleisen?
Among Census respondents with the surname Muhleisen, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (6.4%) and Black (0.6%). 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 Muhleisen in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (143 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Muhleisen appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (6.4%), Black (0.6%). 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 Muhleisen (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 Muhleisen mean?
A German surname meaning "miller of iron ore", derived from German "Mühle" (mill) and "Eisen" (iron). 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 Muhleisen (0.05 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 Americans have the surname Muhleisen?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.