2000
#9,889
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,011
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.12
Rare Last name
Hurwitz
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word "hurv," meaning "ruins," likely referring to a town of origin.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,101 Americans carry the last name Hurwitz. That puts it at #11,190 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.90 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 110,530 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Hurwitz 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
3.1K
1 in 110,530
Census rank
#11,190
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.7K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,704 bearers of the surname Hurwitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.90 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11190th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Hurwitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Hurwitz
The surname Hurwitz originated from the Yiddish language and is derived from the Hebrew word "chur," meaning hole or pit. It first appeared in Eastern Europe, particularly in areas like Poland, Russia, and Ukraine, where there were sizable Jewish populations during the Middle Ages.
The earliest known record of the Hurwitz name dates back to the 16th century, but it's possible that variations of the spelling existed earlier. Some of these variations include Hurwic, Hurwich, and Hurewicz. The name may have been adopted by families living near a physical pit or hole, or it could have been an occupational surname given to those involved in digging or excavation work.
One of the earliest notable mentions of the Hurwitz name can be found in the Pinkas Hakehillot, a historical Jewish community record from the 17th century. This document references a Rabbi Shlomo Hurwitz, who lived in the town of Krakow, Poland.
In the 18th century, a prominent figure named Samuel Hurwitz (1718-1786) was born in Kraków, Poland. He was a noted Talmudic scholar and rabbinical authority, and his works were widely studied in Jewish communities throughout Europe.
During the 19th century, the Hurwitz name spread beyond Eastern Europe as many Jewish families emigrated to other parts of the world. One such individual was Shmuel Hurwitz (1840-1909), who was born in Ukraine and later became a respected rabbi in London, England.
Another notable Hurwitz was Zvi Hirsch Hurwitz (1856-1923), a Polish-born Hebrew writer and educator who lived in Palestine (now Israel) during the early stages of the Zionist movement.
In the 20th century, the name Hurwitz gained recognition in various fields. For example, Leo Hurwitz (1909-1991) was an American filmmaker and documentary producer known for his socially conscious works.
Overall, the surname Hurwitz has a rich history rooted in Eastern European Jewish communities, with records dating back several centuries. While its precise origin remains unclear, the name has been carried by numerous scholars, rabbis, and influential figures throughout the years.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Hurwitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Hurwitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Hurwitz 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 Hurwitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4% · 2,472
- Two or more races4.0% · 108
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 76
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 29
- Black or African American0.5% · 14
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 5
Timeline
Historical Census data for Hurwitz
Hurwitz 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
#10,851
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,935
-76 bearers (-2.5%)
Per 100,000 0.99
Rank movement Down 962 places
2020
#11,190
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,704
-231 bearers (-7.9%)
Per 100,000 0.90
Rank movement Down 339 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,889 | 3,011 | 1.12 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,851 | 2,935 | 0.99 | -76 bearers (-2.5%) | Down 962 places |
| 2020 | #11,190 | 2,704 | 0.90 | -231 bearers (-7.9%) | Down 339 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 Hurwitz 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 | #10,851 | #11,190 | -3.1% |
| Count | 2,935 | 2,704 | -7.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.99 | 0.90 | -8.6% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Hurwitz bearers went from 2,935 to 2,704 (-7.9% change). The surname moved down 339 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,851 to #11,190.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Hurwitz
FAQ
Hurwitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Hurwitz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,101 living Americans carry the surname Hurwitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 110,530 residents.
How common is Hurwitz?
Hurwitz ranks #11,190 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.90 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 2,704 people with the surname Hurwitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,101), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.9 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.90 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 Hurwitz.
Has Hurwitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Hurwitz went from 2,935 recorded bearers to 2,704. That is a decrease of 231 (-7.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,851 to #11,190.
What does the Census say about the background of Hurwitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Hurwitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.0%) and Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Hurwitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.4% (2,472 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Hurwitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.4%), Two or More Races (4.0%), Hispanic (2.8%). 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 Hurwitz (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 Hurwitz mean?
A Jewish surname derived from the Yiddish word "hurv," meaning "ruins," likely referring to a town of origin. 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 Hurwitz (0.90 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 Hurwitz?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans have the surname Hurwitz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.