2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Erwert
An occupational surname potentially derived from German "erwerben" meaning "to acquire" or "to gain".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Erwert. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Erwert 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Erwert in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Erwert, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Erwert
The surname "ERWERT" is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, in present-day Germany, during the late medieval period. It is thought to be derived from the Old German words "er" meaning "honored" and "wert" meaning "worthy" or "esteemed". This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an individual of high social standing or noble lineage.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name "ERWERT" can be found in the Annalen von Quedlinburg, a chronicle written by the monks of the Quedlinburg Abbey in the 11th century. The text makes reference to a certain "Erwertus de Eisenach", who is believed to have been a nobleman from the town of Eisenach.
In the 13th century, a variant spelling of the name, "Erwarth", appeared in the Liber Viridis, a collection of records from the city of Göttingen. This document mentions a "Johannes Erwarth", who was a prominent citizen and landowner in the region.
During the Renaissance period, the name "ERWERT" gained some notable bearers. One such individual was Hans ERWERT (1490-1558), a German artist and printmaker who was renowned for his intricate woodcut illustrations. His works can be found in various museums and collections across Europe.
Another historical figure with the surname "ERWERT" was Gottfried ERWERT (1554-1614), a Lutheran theologian and author from Saxony. He wrote several influential treatises on theology and biblical interpretation, which were widely circulated in Protestant circles during the Reformation.
In the 18th century, the name "ERWERT" was associated with the town of Erwarth, located in the state of Lower Saxony. This settlement likely derived its name from the surname itself, suggesting that the ERWERT family may have held significant influence or landholdings in the area.
One notable bearer of the name from this era was Johann Friedrich ERWERT (1720-1788), a German composer and organist who served as the court musician for the Duke of Saxe-Weimar. He composed numerous sacred and secular works, some of which are still performed today.
The 19th century saw the rise of Ernst ERWERT (1829-1892), a German industrialist and philanthropist. He founded the ERWERT Steel Works, which became one of the largest steel manufacturers in Europe during the Industrial Revolution. Ernst ERWERT was also known for his charitable contributions to educational institutions and social welfare organizations in his homeland.
While the surname "ERWERT" has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to migration and diasporas. However, its historical origins can be traced back to the medieval period in the region of Saxony, where it was likely borne by individuals of noble or respected status.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Erwert
Among Census respondents with the surname Erwert, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Erwert 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 Erwert surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 104
Timeline
Historical Census data for Erwert
Erwert 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-1 bearers (-1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 11,223 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
+1 bearers (+1.0%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Up 3,644 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -1 bearers (-1.0%) | Down 11,223 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | +1 bearers (+1.0%) | Up 3,644 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 Erwert 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 | #157,234 | #153,590 | 2.3% |
| Count | 103 | 104 | 1.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.03 | 16.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Erwert bearers went from 103 to 104 (+1.0% change). The surname moved up 3,644 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #153,590.
FAQ
Erwert surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Erwert?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Erwert. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Erwert?
Erwert ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Erwert. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Erwert.
Has Erwert become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Erwert went from 103 recorded bearers to 104. That is an increase of 1 (+1.0%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Erwert?
Among Census respondents with the surname Erwert, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Erwert in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Erwert appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Erwert (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 Erwert mean?
An occupational surname potentially derived from German "erwerben" meaning "to acquire" or "to gain". 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 Erwert (0.03 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 many people are called Erwert?
Want to know how many people have the last name Erwert? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.