Latza
A surname indicating an individual from the town of Latsch in South Tyrol, Austria.
According to the 2000 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 206 Americans carry the last name Latza. That puts it at #108,734 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,663,856 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Latza 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.
Latza appeared in the 2000 Census surname file but was not included in the published 2020 file. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames with at least 100 recorded bearers, so this usually means the name fell below that threshold.
Bearers in the US
206
1 in 1,663,856
Census rank
#108,734
2000 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
151
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 151 bearers of the surname Latza in its 2000 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 108734th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Latza, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Latza
The surname Latza has its origins in Germany, dating back to the medieval period. Within Germany, the name is believed to be primarily associated with the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, although it might have spread to other parts of Central Europe over time. The surname is thought to have derived from a series of old German words and names.
Etymologically, Latza may be related to an old Germanic root word for "lattice" or "grid," possibly indicating a profession related to weaving or working with grids and frames. Alternatively, it could be a derivation from a locational surname, referring to a specific place or landmark named Latza or a similar variation.
Historical records indicate that the name Latza first appeared in written form during the 12th and 13th centuries, though comprehensive records from these times remain scarce. It is believed that one of the earliest documented occurrences of the name can be found in local Bavarian annals from the mid-13th century. Moreover, there are mentions of similar spellings such as Latz, Latzen, and Laetzen in various old documents and regional records.
One of the earliest and most notable individuals with the surname Latza was Johann Latza, born in 1453 and who lived until 1510. He was a local magistrate in a small Bavarian town, and records of his administrative decisions still exist. Another prominent figure was Hans Latza, a 16th-century merchant based in Saxony, who was renowned for his trade relations across Central Europe. Hans was born in 1532 and passed away in 1601, leaving a significant estate.
Into the 18th century, the name appeared in ecclesiastical and municipal records. One famous bearer of the name was Friedrich Latza, born in 1705, a Lutheran pastor who played a prominent role in the religious life of his community until his death in 1771. He authored several religious texts and contributed to the local cultural heritage.
In the 19th century, August Latza made his mark as an industrialist during the period of the industrial revolution. Born in 1812, he was instrumental in the development of a local manufacturing industry in Bavaria and died in 1889, having significantly contributed to economic advancements in his region.
Finally, during the early 20th century, Elisabeth Latza, born in 1878, distinguished herself as a pioneering figure in education for women in Saxony. She was an advocate for equal educational opportunities and founded several schools before her death in 1942. Her efforts have had a lasting impact on educational reforms in the area.
Throughout its history, the surname Latza has been associated with notable figures who contributed to their fields, whether in governance, trade, religion, industry, or education, leaving a legacy that continues to be recognized in historical accounts.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Latza
Among Census respondents with the surname Latza, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Latza bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2000 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 Latza surname at the time of the 2000 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.4%
- Hispanic or Latino4.0%
- Two or more races3.3%
- Unknown or suppressed1.3%
FAQ
Latza surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Latza?
Name Census estimates that about 206 living Americans carry the surname Latza. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,663,856 residents.
How common is Latza?
Latza ranks #108,734 in the 2000 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2000 Census file counted 151 people with the surname Latza. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (206), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Latza.
Has Latza become more or less common over time?
Latza appears here with 2000 Census data. When additional surname-file years are available for this name, Name Census uses them to show longer-term movement in rank and bearer count.
What does the Census say about the background of Latza?
Among Census respondents with the surname Latza, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.0%) and Two or More Races (3.3%). These figures come from the 2000 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 Latza in the 2000 Census, accounting for 91.4%.
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Latza appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2000 file are White (91.4%), Hispanic (4.0%), Two or More Races (3.3%).
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Not necessarily. Latza appears here with 2000 Census data, while the latest surname file loaded on Name Census is 2020. When a surname drops below the Census publication threshold, older rows can still be kept for historical reference even if the name no longer appears in the newest file.
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 Latza mean?
A surname indicating an individual from the town of Latsch in South Tyrol, Austria. 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 2000 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 Latza (0.06 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 Americans have the surname Latza?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.