2000
#10,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,695
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.00
Rare Last name
Litz
A German occupational surname referring to a candle maker or chandler.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,037 Americans carry the last name Litz. That puts it at #11,385 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.89 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 112,860 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Litz 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 112,860
Census rank
#11,385
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,648 bearers of the surname Litz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.89 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11385th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Litz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Litz
The surname LITZ is of German origin, with its roots dating back to the 14th century. It is derived from the German word "Litze," which means a braid or a cord. This suggests that the name may have been initially given to a maker or seller of braids or cords.
The earliest known record of the surname LITZ can be traced back to a document from the city of Nuremberg, dated 1381, where a person named Heinrich Litz is mentioned. This indicates that the name was already in use during this time period in the region of Franconia, which is now part of modern-day Bavaria.
In the 15th century, the name LITZ can be found in various records from the German states of Saxony and Thuringia. For instance, a certain Johann Litz is recorded as a resident of Leipzig in 1462, while a Konrad Litz is mentioned in a document from Erfurt, dated 1489.
The LITZ surname also appears in some historical manuscripts from the 16th century. One notable example is the "Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae Regiae," which contains a reference to a person named Hans Litz from the town of Zwickau in 1521.
Over the centuries, the name LITZ has undergone various spelling variations, such as Litz, Litze, Litsch, and Litzsch. These variations can be found in different regions of Germany, as well as in areas where German immigrants settled, such as the United States and Canada.
Notable individuals with the surname LITZ include:
1. Johann Philipp Litz (1708-1788), a German composer and organist from Dresden.
2. Friedrich Litz (1801-1876), a German politician and journalist from Saxony.
3. Gustav Litz (1838-1923), a German painter and illustrator from Berlin.
4. Emil Litz (1854-1923), a German-American businessman and philanthropist from Cincinnati, Ohio.
5. Karl Litz (1884-1962), an Austrian-German actor and theater director from Vienna.
While the name LITZ is not among the most common surnames, it has a rich historical background deeply rooted in German culture and traditions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Litz
Among Census respondents with the surname Litz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Litz 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 Litz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.1% · 2,464
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 92
- Two or more races2.1% · 56
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.5% · 13
- Black or African American0.4% · 10
Timeline
Historical Census data for Litz
Litz 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
#11,153
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,839
+144 bearers (+5.3%)
Per 100,000 0.96
Rank movement Down 298 places
2020
#11,385
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,648
-191 bearers (-6.7%)
Per 100,000 0.89
Rank movement Down 232 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #10,855 | 2,695 | 1.00 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,153 | 2,839 | 0.96 | +144 bearers (+5.3%) | Down 298 places |
| 2020 | #11,385 | 2,648 | 0.89 | -191 bearers (-6.7%) | Down 232 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 Litz 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 | #11,153 | #11,385 | -2.1% |
| Count | 2,839 | 2,648 | -6.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.96 | 0.89 | -7.7% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Litz bearers went from 2,839 to 2,648 (-6.7% change). The surname moved down 232 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,153 to #11,385.
FAQ
Litz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Litz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,037 living Americans carry the surname Litz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 112,860 residents.
How common is Litz?
Litz ranks #11,385 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.89 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 2,648 people with the surname Litz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,037), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.89 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.89 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 Litz.
Has Litz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Litz went from 2,839 recorded bearers to 2,648. That is a decrease of 191 (-6.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #11,153 to #11,385.
What does the Census say about the background of Litz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Litz, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Litz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.1% (2,464 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Litz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (2.1%). 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 Litz (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 Litz mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a candle maker or chandler. 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 Litz (0.89 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 last name Litz?
You can see how many people have the last name Litz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.