2000
#7,403
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,150
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.54
Rare Last name
Beltz
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the Middle High German word "belz" meaning fur or pelt.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,434 Americans carry the last name Beltz. That puts it at #8,201 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.29 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 77,301 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Beltz 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
4.4K
1 in 77,301
Census rank
#8,201
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.9K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,867 bearers of the surname Beltz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.29 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8201st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Beltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Beltz
The surname Beltz is believed to have originated in Germany, possibly in the region of Bavaria or the surrounding areas. The name is thought to have derived from the Old High German word 'beliz,' which means 'bright' or 'shining.' This suggests that the name may have initially been a descriptive nickname given to someone with a bright or radiant appearance.
One of the earliest recorded references to the surname can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, dating back to the 13th century. The name appears in various forms, such as 'Beliz,' 'Beltz,' and 'Beltzer,' indicating variations in spelling over time.
In the 14th century, the name Beltz was associated with a prominent family of landowners and noblemen in the region of Franconia, located in present-day northern Bavaria. Historical records mention a certain Konrad Beltz, who was a knight and landowner during this period.
The Beltz surname can also be traced back to the town of Beltz, located in the Vogtlandkreis district of Saxony, Germany. It is possible that the name originated as a reference to someone from this particular town or region.
One notable figure with the surname Beltz was Johann Georg Beltz, a German architect and builder who lived from 1637 to 1719. He was responsible for the construction of several important buildings in the city of Dresden, including the Zwinger Palace and parts of the Dresden Frauenkirche.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Beltz, a German historian and archivist who lived from 1813 to 1878. He was known for his extensive research and publications on the history of the Prussian state and its institutions.
In the 19th century, the Beltz family played a significant role in the publishing industry in Germany. Karl Julius Beltz founded the publishing house Beltz Verlag in 1841, which continues to operate today as one of the leading educational publishers in the country.
It is also worth mentioning that the name Beltz has been associated with various occupations and professions throughout history, including artisans, merchants, and scholars, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and social strata of those who bore this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Beltz
Among Census respondents with the surname Beltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (3.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Beltz 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 Beltz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 3,538
- Two or more races3.5% · 135
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 125
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 24
- Black or African American0.2% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Beltz
Beltz 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
#7,246
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,603
+453 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 1.56
Rank movement Up 157 places
2020
#8,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,867
-736 bearers (-16.0%)
Per 100,000 1.29
Rank movement Down 955 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #7,403 | 4,150 | 1.54 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,246 | 4,603 | 1.56 | +453 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 157 places |
| 2020 | #8,201 | 3,867 | 1.29 | -736 bearers (-16.0%) | Down 955 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 Beltz 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 | #7,246 | #8,201 | -13.2% |
| Count | 4,603 | 3,867 | -16.0% |
| Per 100K | 1.56 | 1.29 | -17.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Beltz bearers went from 4,603 to 3,867 (-16.0% change). The surname moved down 955 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,246 to #8,201.
FAQ
Beltz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Beltz?
Name Census estimates that about 4,434 living Americans carry the surname Beltz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 77,301 residents.
How common is Beltz?
Beltz ranks #8,201 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.29 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 3,867 people with the surname Beltz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,434), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.29 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.29 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 Beltz.
Has Beltz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Beltz went from 4,603 recorded bearers to 3,867. That is a decrease of 736 (-16.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,246 to #8,201.
What does the Census say about the background of Beltz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Beltz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.5%) and Hispanic (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 Beltz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (3,538 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Beltz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%), Hispanic (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 Beltz (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 Beltz mean?
A German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname derived from the Middle High German word "belz" meaning fur or pelt. 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 Beltz (1.29 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 Beltz?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the last name Beltz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.