German Texans have historically played a role in history of the U.S. state of Texas. Texans of German birth or descent have, since the mid-19th century, made up one of the largest ethnic groups in the state. By 1850, they numbered five percent of the total population—a conservative count. The 1990 census listed more than 17 percent of the population, nearly three million individuals, claiming German heritage.(This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by expanding it with reliably sourced entries.)