2000
#149,328
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Oertwig
A habitational name derived from a place in Germany, likely referring to someone from that location.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 118 Americans carry the last name Oertwig. That puts it at #154,182 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,904,698 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Oertwig 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
118
1 in 2,904,698
Census rank
#154,182
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
103
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 103 bearers of the surname Oertwig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 154182nd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Oertwig, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Oertwig
The surname OERTWIG has its origins in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is believed to have derived from the Middle Low German word "ort," which meant a corner or angle, and "wig," meaning a small settlement or village. This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived in a small settlement located at a corner or bend in a road or river.
In the early 16th century, the name OERTWIG appeared in various historical records from the region of Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. One of the earliest documented instances was in a land registry from the town of Halle in 1512, which listed a farmer named Hans Oertwig as a landowner in the area.
By the late 16th century, the surname had spread to other parts of Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the name in regions such as Bavaria and Thuringia. In 1583, a merchant named Jakob Oertwig was mentioned in a trade document from the city of Nuremberg, indicating the family's involvement in commercial activities.
The 17th century saw the emergence of several notable figures with the surname OERTWIG. In 1612, a scholar named Johann Oertwig (1585-1647) published a treatise on the study of ancient Greek and Latin texts, earning him recognition among academic circles of the time. Another individual of note was Wilhelm Oertwig (1638-1711), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Dukes of Saxe-Weimar.
As the centuries progressed, the OERTWIG surname continued to appear in various historical records, including church registers, tax rolls, and military records. In the 18th century, a prominent figure was Friedrich Oertwig (1720-1789), a Lutheran theologian and author who wrote extensively on religious subjects.
The 19th century saw the birth of Gustav Oertwig (1834-1916), a German zoologist and professor at the University of Berlin. His contributions to the field of embryology and cell biology were significant, and he is remembered for his work on the development of sea urchins and starfish.
Throughout its history, the surname OERTWIG has been associated with various professions, from farmers and merchants to academics and scientists. While its exact origin may be uncertain, the name remains a testament to the rich cultural heritage of Germany and the diverse backgrounds of its people.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Oertwig
Among Census respondents with the surname Oertwig, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Oertwig 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 Oertwig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.2% · 95
- Two or more races4.9% · 5
- Hispanic or Latino2.9% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Oertwig
Oertwig 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
#148,347
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+10 bearers (+9.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 981 places
2020
#154,182
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-8 bearers (-7.2%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 5,835 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #149,328 | 101 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #148,347 | 111 | 0.04 | +10 bearers (+9.9%) | Up 981 places |
| 2020 | #154,182 | 103 | 0.03 | -8 bearers (-7.2%) | Down 5,835 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 Oertwig 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 | #148,347 | #154,182 | -3.9% |
| Count | 111 | 103 | -7.2% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Oertwig bearers went from 111 to 103 (-7.2% change). The surname moved down 5,835 positions in the national ranking, going from #148,347 to #154,182.
FAQ
Oertwig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Oertwig?
Name Census estimates that about 118 living Americans carry the surname Oertwig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,904,698 residents.
How common is Oertwig?
Oertwig ranks #154,182 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 103 people with the surname Oertwig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (118), 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 Oertwig.
Has Oertwig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Oertwig went from 111 recorded bearers to 103. That is a decrease of 8 (-7.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #148,347 to #154,182.
What does the Census say about the background of Oertwig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Oertwig, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.2%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.9%) and Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Oertwig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.2% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Oertwig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.2%), Two or More Races (4.9%), Hispanic (2.9%). 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 Oertwig (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 Oertwig mean?
A habitational name derived from a place in Germany, likely referring to someone from that location. 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 Oertwig (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 Oertwig?
Want to know how common the surname Oertwig is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.