Find out how popular the last name Pelz is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Pelz.

Pelz, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Pelz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Pelz in America

Pelz is the 25935th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Pelz surname appeared 947 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Pelz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Pelz to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Pelz

The surname Pelz is of German origin, first appearing in records from the 14th century. It is derived from the Middle High German word "pelz," meaning "fur" or "pelt," and likely referred to an occupation or trade involving the tanning, selling, or working with animal furs and pelts.

One of the earliest known references to the Pelz surname can be found in the Stadtbücher (city books) of Cologne, Germany, from the year 1371, where a person named Johannes Pelz is mentioned. These city books were records kept by local authorities, documenting legal matters, property transactions, and other important events.

In the 15th century, the Pelz name appeared in the Stadtbücher of Nuremberg, where a merchant named Hans Pelz was recorded in 1457. This suggests that the name had spread to various cities and regions within Germany by that time.

The Pelz surname is also associated with several place names in Germany, such as Pelzerhaken, a town in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, which may have been named after someone with the surname Pelz.

Some notable individuals with the Pelz surname include:

1. Gregor Pelz (1565-1637), a German composer and organist from Nuremberg, known for his sacred and secular compositions.
2. Johann Friedrich Pelz (1733-1805), a German theologian and author from Saxony, who wrote on various religious and philosophical topics.
3. Christian Pelz (1801-1869), a German painter and lithographer from Saxony, known for his landscapes and architectural works.
4. Eduard Pelz (1800-1876), a German jurist and politician from Saxony, who served as a member of the Frankfurt National Assembly in 1848-1849.
5. Theodor Pelz (1871-1951), a German architect and urban planner from Dresden, who designed several notable buildings and urban projects in Germany.

While the Pelz surname is predominantly found in Germany and German-speaking regions, it has also been carried by individuals and families who emigrated to other parts of the world, such as the United States and Canada.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Pelz

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Pelz.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Pelz was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Pelz has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Pelz was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Pelz, please contact us.

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