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

Boettcher, 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 Boettcher surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Boettcher in America

Boettcher is the 5238th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Boettcher surname appeared 6,659 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Boettcher.

We can also compare 2010 data for Boettcher 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 Boettcher

The surname Boettcher is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German word "botte" or "bötter," meaning a cooper or barrel maker. The name first appeared in the 14th century in the regions of central and northern Germany.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the town records of Braunschweig, where a certain Hans Boettcher was mentioned as a cooper in 1472. The name was also prevalent in the city of Hamburg, where several Boettcher families were registered in the 16th and 17th centuries.

During the 18th and 19th centuries, the surname spread across various parts of Germany due to the migration of families seeking better opportunities. It was also during this period that the name began to appear in other European countries, such as Poland, Russia, and the Netherlands, owing to the movement of people.

One notable individual bearing the name Boettcher was Johann Friedrich Boettcher (1682-1719), a German alchemist and inventor who is credited with discovering the process of manufacturing European hard-paste porcelain. He established the first porcelain factory in Meissen, Saxony, in 1710, laying the foundation for the renowned Meissen porcelain industry.

Another prominent figure was Wilhelm Boettcher (1858-1934), a German industrialist and entrepreneur who founded the Boettcher Chocolate Company in Berlin in 1884. The company grew to become one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in Europe during the early 20th century.

In the field of literature, the name is associated with Wolfgang Boettcher (1935-2020), a German author and screenwriter known for his works exploring themes of family, relationships, and social issues. His novel "Ringe des Unheils" (Rings of Misfortune) received critical acclaim and was adapted into a television film.

The name Boettcher has also been documented in historical records from other German-speaking regions, such as Austria and Switzerland. For instance, the 16th-century Swiss theologian Johann Jakob Boettcher (1518-1572) was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation movement.

Lastly, in the realm of music, the name is associated with the German composer and pianist Carl Boettcher (1806-1889), who was renowned for his piano compositions and pedagogical works during the Romantic era.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Boettcher

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

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 Boettcher 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 Boettcher 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 Boettcher was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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