Hochwalt last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Hochwalt

A German surname derived from a geographic name referring to a wooded high hill or ridge.

Hochwalt, 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 Hochwalt surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Hochwalt in America

Hochwalt is the 129825th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Hochwalt surname appeared 131 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 Hochwalt.

We can also compare 2010 data for Hochwalt 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 129825 122534 5.78%
Count 131 130 0.77%
Proportion per 100k 0.04 0.05 -22.22%

The history of the last name Hochwalt

The surname Hochwalt is of German origin, derived from the Middle High German words 'hoch' meaning 'high' and 'walt' meaning 'forest' or 'woods'. This suggests that the name likely originated from a person who lived in or near a high-lying forest or wooded area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Hochwalt date back to the 15th century in various regions of Germany, particularly in the southern and western parts of the country. It is believed that the name may have originated in these areas, where it was initially used as a descriptive term before evolving into a hereditary surname.

One of the earliest documented references to the name Hochwalt can be found in the records of the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, located in the Bavarian region of Germany. In a document dated 1487, a certain Hans Hochwalt is mentioned as a resident of the town.

In the 16th century, the name Hochwalt appears in various historical records across different German states. For instance, in 1523, a man named Kaspar Hochwalt is recorded as a landowner in the village of Altdorf near Nuremberg.

As the name spread throughout Germany, various spelling variations emerged, such as Hochwald, Hochwalde, and Hochwaldt. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and the preferences of local scribes.

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the surname Hochwalt. One of the earliest was Johann Hochwalt (1525-1588), a German theologian and professor at the University of Tübingen.

Another prominent figure was Friedrich Hochwalt (1687-1745), a German merchant and entrepreneur who established a successful trading company in the city of Leipzig.

In the 19th century, Karl Hochwalt (1822-1891) gained recognition as a German architect and urban planner, responsible for designing several public buildings and town squares in various cities across Germany.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the name Hochwalt appears in records related to the German-American community in the United States. One notable example is Gustav Hochwalt (1865-1932), a German-born engineer who immigrated to the United States and contributed to the development of early automobile technology.

Another significant figure was Anna Hochwalt (1890-1972), a German-American artist and painter known for her vibrant landscapes and portrayal of rural life in the American Midwest.

While these examples provide a glimpse into the historical presence of the surname Hochwalt, it is important to note that the name's origins and evolution may have followed diverse paths across different regions and communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Hochwalt

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

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 Hochwalt was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 98.47% 129
Non-Hispanic Black Only 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races (S)% (S)
Hispanic Origin 0.00% 0

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 Hochwalt has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 98.47% 98.46% 0.01%
Black 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races (S)% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%

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

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

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Hochwalt last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on June 14, 2025. http://namecensus.com/last-names/hochwalt-surname-popularity/.

"Hochwalt last name popularity, history, and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/last-names/hochwalt-surname-popularity/. Accessed 14 June, 2025

Hochwalt last name popularity, history, and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/last-names/hochwalt-surname-popularity/.

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