2000
#52,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 373
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.14
Very Rare Last name
Noth
A German surname derived from the German word for "need" or "necessity."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 510 Americans carry the last name Noth. That puts it at #50,714 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.15 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 672,067 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Noth 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
510
1 in 672,067
Census rank
#50,714
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
445
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 445 bearers of the surname Noth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.15 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 50714th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Noth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Noth
The surname NOTH has its origins in Germany, dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to be derived from the Old German word "not," which means "necessity" or "need." This suggests that the name may have been initially used as a descriptive name for someone who lived in an area of great need or hardship.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname NOTH can be found in the village of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in Bavaria, where a family with this name was documented in the local church records in the late 1500s. The name also appears in various historical documents from the region, such as tax records and land registries, suggesting that the NOTH family had established roots in the area.
In the 17th century, the surname NOTH began to spread beyond its original geographical confines. Records show that individuals bearing this name had migrated to other parts of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. This migration pattern may have been influenced by economic or political factors, as well as the desire to seek new opportunities.
One notable individual with the surname NOTH was Johann Noth, a German theologian and biblical scholar born in 1902. Noth made significant contributions to the field of Old Testament studies and is particularly renowned for his work on the historical and literary analysis of the Pentateuch.
Another important figure was Karl Noth, a German architect born in 1857. Noth was a prominent figure in the Art Nouveau movement and designed several iconic buildings in cities like Berlin and Dresden, including the Anhalter Bahnhof, a former railway station that was considered a masterpiece of its time.
In the 19th century, the surname NOTH also made its way to America as a result of German immigration. One notable American with this name was Robert Noth, born in 1892, who served as a brigadier general in the United States Army during World War II and played a crucial role in the Allied campaign in Europe.
Another individual of note was Winfried Noth, a German-born American professor of religious studies born in 1926. Noth made significant contributions to the study of ancient Near Eastern religions and was widely respected for his scholarship on the religion and culture of the ancient Israelites.
The surname NOTH has a rich history spanning several centuries and geographical regions. While its origins can be traced back to Germany, the name has since been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including scholars, architects, and military figures, leaving an indelible mark on the cultural and intellectual landscape of multiple nations.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Noth
Among Census respondents with the surname Noth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Noth 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 Noth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 389
- Hispanic or Latino5.6% · 25
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 15
- Two or more races3.1% · 14
- Black or African American0.4% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Noth
Noth 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
#52,267
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 397
+24 bearers (+6.4%)
Per 100,000 0.13
Rank movement Up 22 places
2020
#50,714
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 445
+48 bearers (+12.1%)
Per 100,000 0.15
Rank movement Up 1,553 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #52,289 | 373 | 0.14 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #52,267 | 397 | 0.13 | +24 bearers (+6.4%) | Up 22 places |
| 2020 | #50,714 | 445 | 0.15 | +48 bearers (+12.1%) | Up 1,553 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 Noth 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 | #52,267 | #50,714 | 3.0% |
| Count | 397 | 445 | 12.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.13 | 0.15 | 14.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Noth bearers went from 397 to 445 (+12.1% change). The surname moved up 1,553 positions in the national ranking, going from #52,267 to #50,714.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Noth
FAQ
Noth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Noth?
Name Census estimates that about 510 living Americans carry the surname Noth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 672,067 residents.
How common is Noth?
Noth ranks #50,714 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.15 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 445 people with the surname Noth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (510), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.15 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.15 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 Noth.
Has Noth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Noth went from 397 recorded bearers to 445. That is an increase of 48 (+12.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #52,267 to #50,714.
What does the Census say about the background of Noth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Noth, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.6%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Noth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (389 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Noth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (5.6%), Asian/Pacific Islander (3.4%). 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 Noth (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 Noth mean?
A German surname derived from the German word for "need" or "necessity." 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 Noth (0.15 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 Noth?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Noth at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.