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

Heitzer, 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 Heitzer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Heitzer in America

Heitzer is the 95115th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Heitzer surname appeared 192 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Heitzer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Heitzer 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 Heitzer

The surname Heitzer originated in the German region of Bavaria in the late 16th century. It is derived from the German word "heitz," meaning "heated" or "hot," and likely referred to someone who worked as a furnace tender or in a profession involving high temperatures, such as a blacksmith or glassblower.

The earliest known record of the Heitzer surname dates back to 1587, when a Johann Heitzer was mentioned in a church register in the town of Amberg, Bavaria. Other early spellings of the name included Heytzer, Heyzer, and Haitser.

In the 17th century, the Heitzer name appeared in several historical documents in the region, including tax records and land deeds. One notable figure was Hans Heitzer (1625-1691), a master glassblower who was renowned for his intricate glasswork and operated a successful workshop in Nuremberg.

As the Heitzer family spread across Germany and beyond, the name took on various regional variations. In the 18th century, a branch of the family settled in the Alsace region of France, where the name was sometimes spelled as Heitzert or Heitzmann.

One of the most famous bearers of the Heitzer surname was Friedrich Heitzer (1801-1876), a German composer and music theorist who studied under Carl Maria von Weber and wrote several operas and instrumental works. His compositions were highly regarded during his lifetime and helped establish the Heitzer name in the realm of classical music.

Another notable figure was Karl Heitzer (1854-1923), a German-American engineer and inventor who held numerous patents for industrial machinery and processes. He emigrated to the United States in the late 19th century and established a successful engineering firm in Chicago.

In the 20th century, the Heitzer name continued to be associated with various fields, including science, academia, and the arts. One example is Erich Heitzer (1908-1992), an Austrian physicist who made significant contributions to the study of nuclear physics and worked on the development of nuclear reactors.

While the Heitzer surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of Europe and the world, with bearers of the name making their mark in diverse fields and contributing to the rich tapestry of human history and achievement.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Heitzer

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

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

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

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