2000
#107,565
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 153
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.06
Very Rare Last name
Toedter
An occupational surname derived from the German word for 'to kill', likely referring to a profession such as executioner or butcher.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 208 Americans carry the last name Toedter. That puts it at #105,198 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,647,857 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Toedter 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
208
1 in 1,647,857
Census rank
#105,198
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
181
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 181 bearers of the surname Toedter in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 105198th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Toedter, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Toedter
The surname Toedter has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is derived from the German word "Tod," which means "death," and likely referred to an occupation or profession related to death, such as a gravedigger or an undertaker.
In the early 1500s, the name Toedter began to appear in various records and manuscripts from the region of Bavaria, specifically around the towns of Munich and Augsburg. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name was in a church register from the village of Oberammergau in 1542, where a man named Hans Toedter was listed as a resident.
The Toedter name was also found in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which is famous for its well-preserved medieval architecture. In the late 16th century, a family by the name of Toedter owned a bakery in the town, and their business was documented in local records from that time period.
One notable individual with the surname Toedter was Johann Toedter, a German painter who lived in the 17th century. He was known for his religious artwork and frescoes, many of which can still be seen in churches throughout Bavaria.
Another person of historical significance was Wilhelm Toedter, a German composer and organist who lived from 1787 to 1859. He composed numerous works for the organ and was highly regarded in his time for his skill as a performer.
In the 19th century, the Toedter name began to spread beyond Germany, with families emigrating to other parts of Europe and North America. One prominent figure from this era was Friedrich Toedter, a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in New York City, including the New York Public Library's Schwarzman Building.
Throughout the centuries, the Toedter name has been associated with various professions and occupations, from artists and musicians to architects and businesspeople. While the name may have originated from a morbid occupation, it has since become a respected surname with a rich history and cultural significance.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Toedter
Among Census respondents with the surname Toedter, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Toedter 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 Toedter surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.5% · 171
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 2
- Two or more races1.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Toedter
Toedter 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
#102,197
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 176
+23 bearers (+15.0%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 5,368 places
2020
#105,198
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 181
+5 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Down 3,001 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #107,565 | 153 | 0.06 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #102,197 | 176 | 0.06 | +23 bearers (+15.0%) | Up 5,368 places |
| 2020 | #105,198 | 181 | 0.06 | +5 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 3,001 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 Toedter 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 | #102,197 | #105,198 | -2.9% |
| Count | 176 | 181 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.06 | 0.06 | 0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Toedter bearers went from 176 to 181 (+2.8% change). The surname moved down 3,001 positions in the national ranking, going from #102,197 to #105,198.
FAQ
Toedter surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Toedter?
Name Census estimates that about 208 living Americans carry the surname Toedter. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,647,857 residents.
How common is Toedter?
Toedter ranks #105,198 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 181 people with the surname Toedter. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (208), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Toedter.
Has Toedter become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Toedter went from 176 recorded bearers to 181. That is an increase of 5 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #102,197 to #105,198.
What does the Census say about the background of Toedter?
Among Census respondents with the surname Toedter, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Toedter in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.5% (171 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Toedter appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.5%), Hispanic (3.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.1%). 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 Toedter (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 Toedter mean?
An occupational surname derived from the German word for 'to kill', likely referring to a profession such as executioner or butcher. 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 Toedter (0.06 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 are called Toedter?
See how many people have the surname Toedter on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.