2000
#132,259
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Munkelwitz
Family name derived from an old Germanic place name, possibly meaning "remote village".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Munkelwitz. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Munkelwitz 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Munkelwitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Munkelwitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Munkelwitz
The surname MUNKELWITZ is of Germanic origin, with roots traced back to the region of Silesia, now part of modern-day Poland and Germany. It first emerged in the 13th century as a toponymic name, derived from the village of Munkelwitz, located in the Lower Silesian region. The name is believed to have evolved from the Slavic term "Munklow," meaning "monk's settlement" or "monastery village."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the MUNKELWITZ surname can be found in the "Liber Fundationis Claustri Sanctae Mariae Virginis in Heinrichau," a 14th-century manuscript documenting the history of the Cistercian monastery in Heinrichau, Lower Silesia. This document mentions a certain "Johannes Munkelwitz," who is believed to have been a landowner or a prominent figure in the region during that time.
In the 16th century, the MUNKELWITZ name appeared in various records and documents related to the Protestant Reformation in Silesia. Notable individuals include Johann MUNKELWITZ (1520-1588), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the spread of Protestantism in the region.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, the MUNKELWITZ surname gained prominence in the areas of academia and literature. Hans MUNKELWITZ (1645-1721) was a respected scholar and philosopher who taught at the University of Leipzig. His contemporary, Sophia MUNKELWITZ (1670-1738), was a renowned poet and playwright, acclaimed for her contributions to the German literary scene.
In the 19th century, the name MUNKELWITZ became associated with the industrial revolution and the rise of manufacturing in Germany. Friedrich MUNKELWITZ (1825-1896) was a pioneering industrialist who established one of the first textile mills in Saxony, employing thousands of workers and contributing significantly to the region's economic development.
Another notable figure bearing the MUNKELWITZ surname was Karl MUNKELWITZ (1879-1952), a celebrated architect and urban planner. He was responsible for the design and development of several iconic buildings and public spaces in Berlin and other major German cities during the early 20th century.
While the MUNKELWITZ surname has its roots in the German-speaking regions, it has since spread to various parts of the world through migration and diaspora. However, the name's rich history and ties to the cultural and economic development of Central Europe remain an integral part of its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Munkelwitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Munkelwitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Munkelwitz 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 Munkelwitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.0% · 101
- Two or more races5.4% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Munkelwitz
Munkelwitz 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
#151,532
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 19,273 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+3 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 2,867 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #132,259 | 118 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #151,532 | 108 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 19,273 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.8%) | Up 2,867 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 Munkelwitz 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 | #151,532 | #148,665 | 1.9% |
| Count | 108 | 111 | 2.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Munkelwitz bearers went from 108 to 111 (+2.8% change). The surname moved up 2,867 positions in the national ranking, going from #151,532 to #148,665.
FAQ
Munkelwitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Munkelwitz?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Munkelwitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Munkelwitz?
Munkelwitz ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Munkelwitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Munkelwitz.
Has Munkelwitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Munkelwitz went from 108 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 3 (+2.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #151,532 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Munkelwitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Munkelwitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.4%) and Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Munkelwitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.0% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Munkelwitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.0%), Two or More Races (5.4%), Hispanic (1.8%). 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 Munkelwitz (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 Munkelwitz mean?
Family name derived from an old Germanic place name, possibly meaning "remote village". 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 Munkelwitz (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 Munkelwitz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.