2000
#5,692
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,588
First available Census row
Per 100,000 2.07
Rare Last name
Bartz
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to the bearer's trade as a physician or surgeon.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 6,063 Americans carry the last name Bartz. That puts it at #6,203 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 56,532 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bartz 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
6.1K
1 in 56,532
Census rank
#6,203
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.8
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
5.3K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 5,287 bearers of the surname Bartz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 6203rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bartz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bartz
The surname Bartz is of German origin, with its earliest records dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where it was likely derived from the Old German word "bart," meaning "beard."
In the Middle Ages, the name Bartz was often used as a descriptive surname, referring to individuals with prominent beards. This practice was common during that time when surnames were still evolving and often based on physical characteristics or occupations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Bartz can be found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae," a collection of medieval documents from Saxony, dating back to the late 12th century. This record mentions a person named "Bartoldus de Bartze," indicating the presence of the name in that region.
During the 13th century, the name Bartz appeared in various forms, such as "Bartze," "Bartzsch," and "Bartzke," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These variations were often associated with specific towns or villages, leading to the formation of locational surnames like "Bartzendorf" or "Bartzheim."
In the 14th century, a notable figure bearing the name Bartz was Hans Bartz, a prominent merchant and burgomaster (mayor) of the city of Goslar in Lower Saxony. He played a significant role in the city's governance and trade affairs during his time in office, which lasted from 1382 to 1398.
Another historical figure with the surname Bartz was Johann Bartz, a German theologian and reformer who lived in the 16th century. Born in Saxony in 1515, he was a follower of Martin Luther and actively participated in the Protestant Reformation movement.
In the 17th century, the name Bartz was also present in the records of the Palatinate region of Germany. A notable individual from this period was Christoph Bartz, a skilled craftsman and woodcarver who lived in the town of Heidelberg. His intricate woodcarvings adorned many churches and buildings in the region, earning him a reputation as a master artisan.
Moving into the 18th century, one notable bearer of the Bartz surname was Johann Georg Bartz, a German composer and organist born in Thuringia in 1722. He composed numerous church cantatas and organ works, contributing significantly to the musical landscape of his time.
Lastly, in the 19th century, the name Bartz gained prominence with the birth of Wilhelm Bartz in 1849 in Schleswig-Holstein. He was a renowned German explorer and naturalist who led several expeditions to Africa and Asia, making important contributions to the fields of geography and natural history.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have carried the surname Bartz throughout history, showcasing its rich heritage and diverse presence across various regions of Germany over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bartz
Among Census respondents with the surname Bartz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Bartz 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 Bartz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.2% · 4,929
- Hispanic or Latino3.0% · 159
- Two or more races2.5% · 133
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 38
- Black or African American0.3% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 12
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bartz
Bartz 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
#5,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,781
+193 bearers (+3.5%)
Per 100,000 1.96
Rank movement Down 262 places
2020
#6,203
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 5,287
-494 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 1.77
Rank movement Down 249 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #5,692 | 5,588 | 2.07 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #5,954 | 5,781 | 1.96 | +193 bearers (+3.5%) | Down 262 places |
| 2020 | #6,203 | 5,287 | 1.77 | -494 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 249 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 Bartz 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 | #5,954 | #6,203 | -4.2% |
| Count | 5,781 | 5,287 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 1.96 | 1.77 | -9.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bartz bearers went from 5,781 to 5,287 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 249 positions in the national ranking, going from #5,954 to #6,203.
FAQ
Bartz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bartz?
Name Census estimates that about 6,063 living Americans carry the surname Bartz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 56,532 residents.
How common is Bartz?
Bartz ranks #6,203 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.77 per 100,000 residents, which is about 2 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 5,287 people with the surname Bartz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (6,063), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.77 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.77 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 2 of them to have the surname Bartz.
Has Bartz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bartz went from 5,781 recorded bearers to 5,287. That is a decrease of 494 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #5,954 to #6,203.
What does the Census say about the background of Bartz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bartz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.0%) and Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Bartz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.2% (4,929 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bartz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.2%), Hispanic (3.0%), Two or More Races (2.5%). 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 Bartz (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 Bartz mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) occupational surname referring to the bearer's trade as a physician or surgeon. 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 Bartz (1.77 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 Bartz?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Bartz is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.