Find out how popular the last name Bittner is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Bittner.

Bittner, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Bittner surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Bittner in America

Bittner is the 3870th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Bittner surname appeared 9,163 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Bittner.

We can also compare 2010 data for Bittner to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Bittner

The surname Bittner is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the 14th century. The name is believed to have derived from the Old High German word "bitten," meaning "to ask" or "to request." It likely originated as an occupational name for a court messenger or a petitioner.

The earliest recorded instances of the Bittner surname can be found in various German regions, such as Bavaria and Saxony. In the town of Nürnberg, the name appears in historical records dating back to the late 15th century, with mentions of individuals like Hans Bittner, a local merchant born in 1472.

In the 16th century, the Bittner name gained prominence in the region of Silesia, which was then part of the Holy Roman Empire. One notable figure was Johann Bittner (1524-1591), a renowned theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in Silesia.

As the centuries progressed, the Bittner surname continued to spread across German-speaking lands. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Duchy of Pomerania, where the name was recorded in parish registers and census documents. Johann Friedrich Bittner (1723-1799), a prominent merchant from the town of Stralsund, was a influential figure in the local community.

The 19th century saw the Bittner name appearing in various parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, particularly in the regions of Bohemia and Moravia. One notable individual from this period was Anton Bittner (1845-1918), a Czech geologist and paleontologist who made significant contributions to the study of fossils and stratigraphy.

Another important figure was Gustav Bittner (1837-1914), an Austrian architect who designed several notable buildings in Vienna, including the Burgtheater and the Votive Church. His works played a crucial role in shaping the architectural landscape of the city.

As migration patterns evolved, the Bittner surname also found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. In the United States, the earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the mid-19th century, with immigrants from German-speaking regions settling in states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Bittner

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Bittner.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Bittner was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Bittner has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Bittner was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Bittner, please contact us.

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