2000
#11,653
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,466
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.91
Rare Last name
Holthaus
Derived from German, referring to someone who lived near or in a small wood or thicket.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,017 Americans carry the last name Holthaus. That puts it at #11,453 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 113,608 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Holthaus 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
3.0K
1 in 113,608
Census rank
#11,453
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,631 bearers of the surname Holthaus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11453rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Holthaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Holthaus
The surname Holthaus originates from Germany, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is a toponymic name, derived from the German words "Holz" meaning "wood" and "Haus" meaning "house." This suggests that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a house surrounded by or constructed of wood, likely in a forested area.
The earliest recorded instances of the Holthaus surname can be found in medieval German records and chronicles. One notable reference is in the Würzburg Codex, a 13th-century manuscript containing legal documents and land records, where the name "Holthusen" is mentioned in connection with a landowner or tenant.
During the 14th and 15th centuries, the Holthaus name appeared in various forms, such as "Holthuss," "Holthusen," and "Holthuys," reflecting regional variations in spelling and pronunciation. These variations were common in an era when standardized spelling was not yet established.
In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the Holthaus name was Johann Holthaus (1498-1572), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a crucial role in the spread of Protestantism in northern Germany. He was known for his writings and debates against the Catholic Church.
Another notable individual was Gerhard Holthaus (1627-1701), a German architect and builder who was responsible for the construction of several churches and public buildings in the Hanover region. His works showcased the Baroque architectural style prevalent during that period.
In the 18th century, Friedrich Holthaus (1725-1802) was a respected jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the courts of Prussia. His legal treatises and commentaries on German law were highly regarded and influential in his time.
The 19th century saw the rise of Theodor Holthaus (1835-1912), a German entrepreneur and industrialist who established a successful textile manufacturing company in the Rhineland region. His business acumen and innovative approaches to production contributed to the economic growth of the area.
As the Holthaus surname spread across Germany and beyond, it also took on various localized spellings and variations, such as "Holthausen" in some regions. However, the core meaning and origins of the name remained rooted in its connection to a dwelling or house in a wooded area.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Holthaus
Among Census respondents with the surname Holthaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Holthaus 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 Holthaus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White95.6% · 2,515
- Hispanic or Latino2.6% · 68
- Two or more races1.4% · 38
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 3
- Black or African American0.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Holthaus
Holthaus 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
#11,839
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,644
+178 bearers (+7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 186 places
2020
#11,453
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,631
-13 bearers (-0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.88
Rank movement Up 386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,653 | 2,466 | 0.91 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,839 | 2,644 | 0.90 | +178 bearers (+7.2%) | Down 186 places |
| 2020 | #11,453 | 2,631 | 0.88 | -13 bearers (-0.5%) | Up 386 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 Holthaus 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 | #11,839 | #11,453 | 3.3% |
| Count | 2,644 | 2,631 | -0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.90 | 0.88 | -2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Holthaus bearers went from 2,644 to 2,631 (-0.5% change). The surname moved up 386 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,839 to #11,453.
FAQ
Holthaus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Holthaus?
Name Census estimates that about 3,017 living Americans carry the surname Holthaus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 113,608 residents.
How common is Holthaus?
Holthaus ranks #11,453 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.88 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,631 people with the surname Holthaus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,017), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.88 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.88 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Holthaus.
Has Holthaus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Holthaus went from 2,644 recorded bearers to 2,631. That is a decrease of 13 (-0.5%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,839 to #11,453.
What does the Census say about the background of Holthaus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Holthaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 95.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.6%) and Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Holthaus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 95.6% (2,515 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Holthaus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (95.6%), Hispanic (2.6%), Two or More Races (1.4%). 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 Holthaus (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 Holthaus mean?
Derived from German, referring to someone who lived near or in a small wood 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 Holthaus (0.88 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 have the surname Holthaus?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.