2010
#153,769
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Nothwehr
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a shelter or defensive fortification.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 112 Americans carry the last name Nothwehr. That puts it at #156,269 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 3,060,307 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Nothwehr 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
112
1 in 3,060,307
Census rank
#156,269
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
98
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 98 bearers of the surname Nothwehr in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 156269th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Nothwehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Nothwehr
The surname Nothwehr has its origins in Germany, tracing back to the 16th century. It is a combination of the German words "Not" meaning "need" or "necessity" and "Wehr" meaning "defense" or "resistance." Together, the name suggests a connection to someone who provided protection or defense in times of need.
The name is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany, where it first appeared in documented records. Early variations of the spelling included Notwehr, Notweher, and Nottwehr, reflecting the regional dialects and variations in pronunciation.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in the Kirchenbücher (church records) of Magdeburg, a city in Saxony-Anhalt, where a Johann Nothwehr was documented in the year 1587. These church records were vital sources of information for tracking family lineages and births during that era.
In the 17th century, a notable figure with this surname was Caspar Nothwehr (1621-1691), a German theologian and author from Halle, Saxony-Anhalt. His works included treatises on religious topics and commentaries on biblical texts.
Another historical figure was Friedrich Wilhelm Nothwehr (1784-1856), a Prussian military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a respected military strategist and author of military tactics manuals.
In the 19th century, a prominent individual with this surname was Auguste Nothwehr (1822-1901), a German writer and activist who advocated for women's rights and educational reforms. Her published works included novels and essays that challenged societal norms and gender roles.
The name Nothwehr can also be traced to certain place names in Germany, such as Nothwehrer Feld, a former village in the district of Börde, Saxony-Anhalt. This connection suggests that some individuals may have adopted the surname based on their place of origin or residence.
Throughout its history, the surname Nothwehr has maintained a strong presence in Germany, particularly in the regions of Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia, and Saxony. While not a widespread surname globally, it continues to hold significance within its regional origins and carries the historical connotations of defense and protection.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Nothwehr
Among Census respondents with the surname Nothwehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%).
The bar chart below shows how Nothwehr 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 Nothwehr surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 88
- Hispanic or Latino5.1% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.0% · 2
- Two or more races2.0% · 2
- Black or African American1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Nothwehr
Nothwehr appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#156,269
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 98
-8 bearers (-7.5%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 2,500 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #153,769 | 106 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #156,269 | 98 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.5%) | Down 2,500 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 Nothwehr 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 | #153,769 | #156,269 | -1.6% |
| Count | 106 | 98 | -7.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -18.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Nothwehr bearers went from 106 to 98 (-7.5% change). The surname moved down 2,500 positions in the national ranking, going from #153,769 to #156,269.
FAQ
Nothwehr surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Nothwehr?
Name Census estimates that about 112 living Americans carry the surname Nothwehr. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 3,060,307 residents.
How common is Nothwehr?
Nothwehr ranks #156,269 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 98 people with the surname Nothwehr. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (112), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Nothwehr.
Has Nothwehr become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Nothwehr went from 106 recorded bearers to 98. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #153,769 to #156,269.
What does the Census say about the background of Nothwehr?
Among Census respondents with the surname Nothwehr, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.1%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Nothwehr in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (88 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Nothwehr appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Hispanic (5.1%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.0%). 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 Nothwehr (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 Nothwehr mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a shelter or defensive fortification. 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 Nothwehr (0.03 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 are called Nothwehr?
Find out how many people have the last name Nothwehr on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.