2000
#148,244
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Awald
Noble or ruler of the forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Awald. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Awald 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Awald in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Awald, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Awald
The surname AWALD is believed to have originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is derived from the Old Germanic personal name 'Awald', which is composed of the elements 'aw' meaning law or tradition, and 'wald' meaning ruler or leader. This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who held a position of authority or was a lawmaker in their community.
The earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the 13th century, appearing in various German records and manuscripts. One notable example is found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from the region of Saxony, where an individual named Awald von Meißen is mentioned in a document from 1275.
In the late 14th century, the AWALD surname can be found in the records of the city of Nuremberg, indicating that families bearing this name had established themselves in urban areas. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Hans AWALD, a merchant who lived in Nuremberg around 1380.
During the 16th century, the AWALD name appeared in several historical records from various regions of Germany. In 1537, a document from the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber mentions a certain Konrad AWALD, who was a member of the local council. Another notable individual from this period was Johann AWALD, a Lutheran theologian and author who was born in Saxony in 1548 and wrote several works on religious topics.
In the 17th century, the AWALD surname can be found in the records of the city of Hamburg, where a family of that name was prominent in the mercantile and shipping industries. One of the most notable members of this family was Heinrich AWALD, who was born in 1622 and became a successful merchant and ship owner.
Another significant figure bearing the AWALD surname was Johann Christian AWALD, a German composer and organist who lived from 1737 to 1797. He was born in Muhlhausen, Thuringia, and is best known for his compositions for organ and church music.
While the AWALD surname is not as common today as it once was, it has a rich history and can be traced back to its origins in medieval Germany. The name has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including merchants, theologians, composers, and civic leaders.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Awald
Among Census respondents with the surname Awald, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Awald 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 Awald surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 112
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Awald
Awald 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+11 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,043 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,020 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #148,244 | 102 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 2,043 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 1,020 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 Awald 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 | #146,201 | #147,221 | -0.7% |
| Count | 113 | 113 | 0.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Awald bearers went from 113 to 113 (+0.0% change). The surname moved down 1,020 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #147,221.
FAQ
Awald surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Awald?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Awald. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Awald?
Awald ranks #147,221 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 113 people with the surname Awald. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), 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 Awald.
Has Awald become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Awald went from 113 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 0 (+0.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Awald?
Among Census respondents with the surname Awald, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Awald in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (112 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Awald appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Awald (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 Awald mean?
Noble or ruler of the forest. 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 Awald (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 many people have the last name Awald?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Awald on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.