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

Landwehr, 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 Landwehr surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Landwehr in America

Landwehr is the 12831st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Landwehr surname appeared 2,401 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Landwehr.

We can also compare 2010 data for Landwehr 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 Landwehr

The surname Landwehr originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German words "Land" meaning land or country, and "Wehr" meaning defense or fortification. The name likely referred to someone who lived near a defensive wall or border fortification protecting the land.

The earliest recorded instances of the name Landwehr can be found in medieval records from the 13th and 14th centuries in various regions of Germany. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Heinrich Landwehr, a soldier mentioned in a military record from the city of Nuremberg in 1324.

Throughout history, the Landwehr surname has been associated with various place names and locations in Germany. For example, the town of Landwehrhagen in Lower Saxony, which dates back to the 13th century and likely took its name from a defensive landwehr or fortification in the area.

In the 16th century, a notable figure with the Landwehr surname was Johannes Landwehr, a Protestant reformer and theologian born in Saxony in 1537. He played a role in the spread of Lutheranism in Germany during the Reformation.

Another significant bearer of the Landwehr name was Johann Friedrich Landwehr, a German artist born in 1767 in Saxony. He was a renowned painter known for his landscapes and portraits, and his works can be found in various art museums across Europe.

In the 19th century, Carl Landwehr, born in 1821 in Prussia, was a prominent German engineer and inventor. He is credited with developing early designs for steam-powered agricultural machinery and engines.

The Landwehr surname also has historical connections to the Prussian military. The Landwehr, or territorial army, was a reserve force established in Prussia in the early 19th century, composed of civilians trained for military service in times of need. This association may have influenced the spread and usage of the surname during that period.

While the Landwehr name is most prevalent in Germany, it has also been found in other European countries due to migration and historical events. However, its origins and earliest recorded instances can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it likely referred to individuals living near or associated with defensive fortifications protecting the land.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Landwehr

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

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

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

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