Pfeiffer surname: meaning, census count and records | FamilyCrests

The Pfeiffer surname

In the 2000 U.S. Census, 13,870 people carried this name — #2,394 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 19,500 people counted.

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In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 1,459 people named Pfeiffer.

85 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 57 départements, most often Bas-Rhin.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they were born

Born outside France 85
Bas-Rhin 524
Moselle 373
Paris 117
Haut-Rhin 105
Meurthe-et-Moselle 55
Marne 24
Vosges 20
Doubs 19

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In Switzerland’s population statistics

1,255 people named Pfeiffer live in Switzerland.

They live in 22 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Zurich 361
Bern 186
Vaud 82
Aargau 80
St. Gallen 69
Glarus 60
Lucerne 58
Schaffhausen 50

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In Poland’s population register

288 people named Pfeiffer have a registered home in Poland.

Of the 396 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 15 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Greater Poland.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Greater Poland 60
Lower Silesian 52
Pomeranian 52
Silesian 39
Masovian 19
Łódź 13
Kuyavian-Pomeranian 11
Warmian-Masurian 10

PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.

In Belgium’s population register

At least 169 people named Pfeiffer live in Belgium.

Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Liège.

Where it concentrates, on the map

Where they live today

Liège 169

Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.

In print

Pfeiffer in American newspapers,
1853–1953.

Newspaper page from The Weekly Comet carrying the name Pfeiffer
The Weekly Comet 1853-07-24
Newspaper page from Daily Kennebec Journal carrying the name Pfeiffer
Daily Kennebec Journal 1902-02-10
Newspaper page from St. Tammany Farmer carrying the name Pfeiffer
St. Tammany Farmer 1915-07-31

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 85,178 pages in all carry the name.

Who carried it

People named Pfeiffer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • August Pfeiffer
    August Pfeiffer 1640–1698 · parson
  • Johann Lorenz Pfeiffer
    Johann Lorenz Pfeiffer 1662–1743 · theologian
  • Johann Jakob Pfeiffer
    Johann Jakob Pfeiffer 1740–1791 · theologian
  • Ida Laura Pfeiffer
    Ida Laura Pfeiffer 1797–1858 · naturalist
  • Bertram Pfeiffer
    Bertram Pfeiffer 1797–1872 · mayor

Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 181 lives in all are documented under this name.

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Pfeiffer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Pfeiffer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

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