2000
#128,797
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Loerwald
A topographic surname derived from the German words meaning a small forest or wooded area.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Loerwald. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Loerwald 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Loerwald in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Loerwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Loerwald
The surname "LOERWALD" is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated in the regions of Bavaria and Saxony, where variations of the name were first recorded.
The name "LOERWALD" is derived from the German words "lohe," meaning "blaze" or "flame," and "wald," which translates to "forest." This combination suggests a connection to a forest fire or a clearing of land through burning, possibly referring to an occupation or a place name.
One of the earliest known records of the name "LOERWALD" can be found in the town archives of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, a well-preserved medieval town in Bavaria, dating back to the late 1500s. The name appears in various municipal documents, indicating the presence of a family or individuals bearing this surname in the region.
In the 17th century, the name "LOERWALD" was recorded in the records of the Thirty Years' War, a religious conflict that ravaged parts of Central Europe. Johann Loerwald (1610-1671), a soldier from Saxony, was mentioned in a chronicle detailing the battles and events of the war.
During the 18th century, the name "LOERWALD" appeared in the church records of several villages in the Black Forest region of Baden-Württemberg. One notable figure from this period was Anna Maria Loerwald (1735-1802), a skilled weaver and textile artisan whose intricate designs were highly regarded in her community.
In the 19th century, a branch of the Loerwald family migrated from Germany to the United States, settling in the Midwest. One of the earliest recorded individuals was Johann Loerwald (1815-1892), who established a successful farming operation in Illinois and played a prominent role in the local German-American community.
Another notable figure was Karl Loerwald (1870-1941), a German-American botanist and horticulturist who made significant contributions to the study and cultivation of native plants in the Rocky Mountain region. His extensive research and writings on the flora of Colorado and New Mexico earned him recognition among his peers.
Throughout history, the surname "LOERWALD" has been associated with various occupations and professions, including forestry, agriculture, military service, and the arts. While the name's origins may be rooted in a specific occupation or location, it has since spread across different regions and cultures, reflecting the diverse experiences and histories of those who bear this surname.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Loerwald
Among Census respondents with the surname Loerwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Loerwald 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 Loerwald surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White99.1% · 106
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Loerwald
Loerwald 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
#144,141
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-7 bearers (-5.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 15,344 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-8 bearers (-7.0%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,498 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #128,797 | 122 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #144,141 | 115 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.7%) | Down 15,344 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -8 bearers (-7.0%) | Down 7,498 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 Loerwald 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 | #144,141 | #151,639 | -5.2% |
| Count | 115 | 107 | -7.0% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Loerwald bearers went from 115 to 107 (-7.0% change). The surname moved down 7,498 positions in the national ranking, going from #144,141 to #151,639.
FAQ
Loerwald surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Loerwald?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Loerwald. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Loerwald?
Loerwald ranks #151,639 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 2020 Census file counted 107 people with the surname Loerwald. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Loerwald.
Has Loerwald become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Loerwald went from 115 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.0%). In the national ranking it fell from #144,141 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Loerwald?
Among Census respondents with the surname Loerwald, the largest self-reported group is White at 99.1%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Loerwald in the 2020 Census, accounting for 99.1% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Loerwald appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (99.1%), Two or More Races (0.9%). 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 Loerwald (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 Loerwald mean?
A topographic surname derived from the German words meaning a small forest or wooded area. 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 Loerwald (0.04 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 share the surname Loerwald?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.