2000
#19,852
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,253
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.46
Rare Last name
Britz
A topographic surname derived from a German or Low German word meaning "brushwood" or "thicket".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,613 Americans carry the last name Britz. That puts it at #19,279 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.47 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 212,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Britz 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.
For British records, Name Census UK has a British surname profile for Britz with 1881 census detail, origin facts and modern UK distribution where available.
Bearers in the US
1.6K
1 in 212,495
Census rank
#19,279
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.5
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.4K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,407 bearers of the surname Britz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.47 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 19279th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Britz, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Britz
The surname Britz is of German origin, with its earliest recorded instances dating back to the late 16th century. It is derived from the Old German word "bruz," which means "to break" or "to burst." This could suggest that the name may have initially been applied to someone who worked in a profession that involved breaking or bursting, such as a miller or a brewer.
The name Britz is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, specifically in the town of Britz, located near the city of Leipzig. In fact, one of the earliest recorded mentions of the name can be found in the church records of Britz from the year 1589, where a certain Johannes Britz was listed as a resident.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the name Britz began to spread across various parts of Germany, with several notable individuals bearing this surname. One such person was Johann Britz (1670-1738), a renowned German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden.
Another historical figure with the surname Britz was Friedrich Britz (1779-1846), a Prussian military officer who fought in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected military strategist and author of several books on tactics and warfare.
In the 19th century, the name Britz gained some prominence in the field of education. August Britz (1818-1892) was a German educator and school administrator who played a significant role in reforming the education system in Prussia.
As the 20th century dawned, the name Britz continued to be associated with notable individuals. One such person was Erich Britz (1901-1976), a German scientist and engineer who made significant contributions to the field of chemical engineering and held several patents for his innovative processes.
It is worth noting that while the name Britz has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, particularly through immigration and migration patterns. However, the earliest and most significant historical references to the surname can be traced back to its German origins.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Britz
Among Census respondents with the surname Britz, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Britz 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 Britz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.3% · 1,257
- Two or more races5.3% · 75
- Hispanic or Latino4.3% · 61
- Black or African American0.4% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.4% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Britz
Britz 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
#22,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,162
-91 bearers (-7.3%)
Per 100,000 0.39
Rank movement Down 2,349 places
2020
#19,279
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,407
+245 bearers (+21.1%)
Per 100,000 0.47
Rank movement Up 2,922 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #19,852 | 1,253 | 0.46 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,201 | 1,162 | 0.39 | -91 bearers (-7.3%) | Down 2,349 places |
| 2020 | #19,279 | 1,407 | 0.47 | +245 bearers (+21.1%) | Up 2,922 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 Britz 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 | #22,201 | #19,279 | 13.2% |
| Count | 1,162 | 1,407 | 21.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.39 | 0.47 | 20.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Britz bearers went from 1,162 to 1,407 (+21.1% change). The surname moved up 2,922 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,201 to #19,279.
FAQ
Britz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Britz?
Name Census estimates that about 1,613 living Americans carry the surname Britz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 212,495 residents.
How common is Britz?
Britz ranks #19,279 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.47 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 1,407 people with the surname Britz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,613), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.47 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.47 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 Britz.
Has Britz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Britz went from 1,162 recorded bearers to 1,407. That is an increase of 245 (+21.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #22,201 to #19,279.
What does the Census say about the background of Britz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Britz, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.3%) and Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Britz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.3% (1,257 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Britz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.3%), Two or More Races (5.3%), Hispanic (4.3%). 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 Britz (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 Britz mean?
A topographic surname derived from a German or Low German word meaning "brushwood" or "thicket". 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 Britz (0.47 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 Britz?
Find out how many people have the surname Britz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.