2000
#136,783
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Gwirtz
A Germanized variant of the Welsh surname Gwerts, habitational for someone from the Welsh town of Gwerth.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 126 Americans carry the last name Gwirtz. That puts it at #149,446 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,720,273 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Gwirtz 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
126
1 in 2,720,273
Census rank
#149,446
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
110
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 110 bearers of the surname Gwirtz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 149446th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwirtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Gwirtz
The surname Gwirtz is believed to have originated in the region of Brittany, France, during the 12th century. It is thought to be derived from the Old Breton word "gwir," meaning "true" or "honest," suggesting that the name may have been given to someone known for their truthful or trustworthy nature.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in a medieval document from the year 1256, where a certain Jahan Gwirtz is mentioned as a landowner in the village of Plougastel, near the city of Brest. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by the 13th century.
In the 14th century, the name Gwirtz began to spread beyond Brittany, with records showing individuals bearing this surname in other parts of France, as well as in neighboring regions such as Normandy and Flanders. A notable figure from this period was Guillaume Gwirtz, a merchant from Rouen, who is mentioned in a trade document from 1382.
During the 16th century, the name Gwirtz continued to be found in various parts of France, with some variations in spelling, such as Gwertz and Gwerzt. A prominent individual from this time was Jacques Gwirtz (1521-1592), a scholar and philosopher who taught at the University of Paris.
As the centuries passed, the name Gwirtz also began to appear in other parts of Europe, likely due to migration and intermarriage. In the 17th century, there are records of a family named Gwirtz residing in the Netherlands, with one member, Jan Gwirtz (1638-1701), becoming a respected painter and engraver.
In the 18th century, the name Gwirtz can be found in various regions of Germany, with some variations in spelling, such as Gwirz and Gwertz. One notable figure from this period was Hans Gwirtz (1712-1778), a master clockmaker from the city of Augsburg, whose timepieces were highly sought after by nobility and affluent patrons.
As the centuries progressed, the name Gwirtz continued to be found in various parts of Europe, with individuals bearing this surname making contributions in various fields, from the arts and sciences to business and politics. However, the name remains relatively uncommon, with its origins firmly rooted in the historic region of Brittany, France.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Gwirtz
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwirtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Gwirtz 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 Gwirtz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.6% · 103
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Two or more races2.7% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Gwirtz
Gwirtz 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+0 bearers (+0.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,418 places
2020
#149,446
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
-3 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,245 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #136,783 | 113 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | +0 bearers (+0.0%) | Down 9,418 places |
| 2020 | #149,446 | 110 | 0.04 | -3 bearers (-2.7%) | Down 3,245 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 Gwirtz 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 | #146,201 | #149,446 | -2.2% |
| Count | 113 | 110 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Gwirtz bearers went from 113 to 110 (-2.7% change). The surname moved down 3,245 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #149,446.
FAQ
Gwirtz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Gwirtz?
Name Census estimates that about 126 living Americans carry the surname Gwirtz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,720,273 residents.
How common is Gwirtz?
Gwirtz ranks #149,446 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 110 people with the surname Gwirtz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (126), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Gwirtz.
Has Gwirtz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Gwirtz went from 113 recorded bearers to 110. That is a decrease of 3 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #146,201 to #149,446.
What does the Census say about the background of Gwirtz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Gwirtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.7%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Gwirtz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.6% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Gwirtz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.6%), Hispanic (2.7%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Gwirtz (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 Gwirtz mean?
A Germanized variant of the Welsh surname Gwerts, habitational for someone from the Welsh town of Gwerth. 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 Gwirtz (0.04 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 Gwirtz?
Want to know how many people are called Gwirtz? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.