2000
#14,706
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,853
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.69
Rare Last name
Baltz
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a person with white hair or a pale complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,182 Americans carry the last name Baltz. That puts it at #14,921 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 157,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Baltz 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
2.2K
1 in 157,083
Census rank
#14,921
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.6
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,903 bearers of the surname Baltz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 14921st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Baltz
The surname Baltz has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to derive from the German word "balt," which means "bold" or "brave." Some historical records suggest that the name might also be associated with the German town of Balz or its variations like Baltz, Balzen, or Baltzen.
In the 13th century, the name appeared in various German documents and manuscripts, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Baltz was in the Bavarian town of Augsburg, where a certain Heinrich Baltz was mentioned in a legal document dated 1278.
The Baltz name gained prominence during the 16th and 17th centuries, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. Johann Baltz (1518-1592), a German mathematician and astronomer, was widely respected for his contributions to the field of astronomy and his work on calculating the positions of planets.
Another historical figure was Peter Baltz (1602-1672), a German Protestant theologian and author, who served as the rector of the University of Wittenberg and published numerous works on theology and philosophy.
In the 18th century, the Baltz surname appeared in various regions of Germany, including Saxony, Hesse, and Rhineland-Palatinate. One notable individual from this period was Johann Gottfried Baltz (1734-1805), a German composer and organist known for his compositions for the organ and his contributions to church music.
The 19th century saw the Baltz name spread to other parts of Europe and North America due to immigration. One of the most notable figures from this era was August Baltz (1842-1914), a German-American entrepreneur and founder of the Baltz Brewing Company in Philadelphia, which became one of the largest breweries in the United States during the late 19th century.
Another individual of note was Emil Baltz (1867-1948), a German-American architect who designed several notable buildings in Philadelphia, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul.
While the Baltz surname has its roots in Germany, it has since become widespread across various regions and countries, with individuals bearing this name making significant contributions in various fields throughout history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Baltz
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Baltz 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 Baltz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.1% · 1,734
- Hispanic or Latino4.0% · 77
- Two or more races3.2% · 61
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.2% · 22
- Black or African American0.4% · 8
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Baltz
Baltz 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
#13,810
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,189
+336 bearers (+18.1%)
Per 100,000 0.74
Rank movement Up 896 places
2020
#14,921
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,903
-286 bearers (-13.1%)
Per 100,000 0.64
Rank movement Down 1,111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #14,706 | 1,853 | 0.69 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,810 | 2,189 | 0.74 | +336 bearers (+18.1%) | Up 896 places |
| 2020 | #14,921 | 1,903 | 0.64 | -286 bearers (-13.1%) | Down 1,111 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 Baltz 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 | #13,810 | #14,921 | -8.0% |
| Count | 2,189 | 1,903 | -13.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.74 | 0.64 | -14.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Baltz bearers went from 2,189 to 1,903 (-13.1% change). The surname moved down 1,111 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,810 to #14,921.
FAQ
Baltz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Baltz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,182 living Americans carry the surname Baltz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 157,083 residents.
How common is Baltz?
Baltz ranks #14,921 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.64 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,903 people with the surname Baltz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,182), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.64 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.64 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Baltz.
Has Baltz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Baltz went from 2,189 recorded bearers to 1,903. That is a decrease of 286 (-13.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #13,810 to #14,921.
What does the Census say about the background of Baltz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Baltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Baltz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.1% (1,734 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Baltz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.1%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%). 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 Baltz (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 Baltz mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname referring to a person with white hair or a pale complexion. 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 Baltz (0.64 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 common is the surname Baltz?
See how many Americans have the surname Baltz on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.