2000
#139,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Bechtoldt
A surname indicating someone from a place formerly called Bechtoldt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Bechtoldt. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Bechtoldt 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Bechtoldt in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Bechtoldt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Bechtoldt
The surname BECHTOLDT has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the medieval period. It is believed to have derived from the Germanic personal name Bechthald, which combines the elements "beraht" meaning "bright" and "wald" meaning "ruler." This suggests that the name may have originated from a distinguished or renowned leader.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the 13th century Codex Traditionum Westphaliarum, a collection of documents from the region of Westphalia in northwestern Germany. The name appeared as "Bechtoldus," indicating its early presence in this area.
During the 14th century, variations of the name, such as "Bechtold" and "Bechtoldt," were documented in various German towns and villages, particularly in the southern regions of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. This suggests that the name had spread across different parts of the country.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the BECHTOLDT surname was Johann Bechtoldt, a German theologian and reformer born in 1515 in Nuremberg. He was a prominent figure during the Protestant Reformation and worked closely with Martin Luther.
Another historical figure was Georg Bechtoldt, a German cartographer and mathematician who lived from 1548 to 1619. He is known for his contributions to the development of map-making techniques and his work in creating intricate maps of various regions.
In the 18th century, the name appeared in the records of the town of Pforzheim, located in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. A family by the name of BECHTOLDT was documented as residing in the town during this period.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States can be traced back to the late 18th century when Johann Friedrich BECHTOLDT immigrated from Germany to Pennsylvania in 1784. He settled in the area and established a family line that continued to use the surname.
In the 19th century, a notable figure was Wilhelm BECHTOLDT, a German architect and urban planner born in 1835. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings and urban projects in cities such as Berlin and Cologne.
Throughout its history, the surname BECHTOLDT has maintained its presence in various parts of Germany and has also been carried by individuals who emigrated to other countries, including the United States, where it has continued to be passed down through generations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Bechtoldt
Among Census respondents with the surname Bechtoldt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Bechtoldt 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 Bechtoldt surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White97.3% · 107
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.8% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Bechtoldt
Bechtoldt 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-2 bearers (-1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 11,775 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #139,757 | 110 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.8%) | Down 11,775 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Up 2,086 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 Bechtoldt 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 | #151,532 | #149,446 | 1.4% |
| Count | 108 | 110 | 1.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Bechtoldt bearers went from 108 to 110 (+1.9% change). The surname moved up 2,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #149,446.
FAQ
Bechtoldt surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Bechtoldt?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Bechtoldt. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Bechtoldt?
Bechtoldt ranks #149,446 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 110 people with the surname Bechtoldt. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), 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 Bechtoldt.
Has Bechtoldt become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Bechtoldt went from 108 recorded bearers to 110. That is an increase of 2 (+1.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Bechtoldt?
Among Census respondents with the surname Bechtoldt, the largest self-reported group is White at 97.3%. The next largest groups are Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%) and Two or More Races (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 Bechtoldt in the 2020 Census, accounting for 97.3% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Bechtoldt appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (97.3%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.8%), Two or More Races (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 Bechtoldt (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 Bechtoldt mean?
A surname indicating someone from a place formerly called Bechtoldt. 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 Bechtoldt (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 common is the surname Bechtoldt?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Bechtoldt on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.