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

Petzold, 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 Petzold surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Petzold in America

Petzold is the 19796th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Petzold surname appeared 1,359 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 Petzold.

We can also compare 2010 data for Petzold 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 Petzold

The surname Petzold is of German origin and can be traced back to the 14th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Thuringia, a state in central Germany. The name is derived from the Middle High German word "petze," which means "patch" or "piece," and may have been an occupational name for a cloth mender or patcher.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Petzold can be found in the chronicles of the town of Erfurt, in Thuringia, from the year 1382. The entry mentions a certain "Hans Petzold" who was a member of the local guild of tailors. This suggests that the name was already well-established in the region by that time.

The Petzold name also appears in various historical documents from other parts of Germany, such as the town records of Nuremberg from the 15th century, where a "Peter Petzold" is listed as a resident. The variations in spelling, such as "Petzoldt" and "Petzholdt," were common during this period.

One notable bearer of the Petzold name was Johann Petzold (1625-1709), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Elector of Saxony in Dresden. His works, which include numerous sacred compositions and organ pieces, were highly regarded in his time.

Another prominent figure was Christian Petzold (1677-1733), a German theologian and philosopher who taught at the University of Leipzig. He was known for his writings on logic and metaphysics, and his work influenced the development of German rationalism.

In the 19th century, Wilhelm Petzold (1809-1891) was a successful businessman and industrialist from Saxony. He founded a company that produced textile machinery and became one of the leading manufacturers in the region.

The name Petzold has also been carried by several notable artists and writers, including the German painter Hermann Petzold (1886-1964), known for his landscapes and still life works, and the contemporary German filmmaker Christian Petzold (born 1960), whose films have won numerous awards at international film festivals.

While the Petzold surname has its roots in central Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world through migration and immigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the small towns and villages of Thuringia in the Middle Ages, where it likely emerged as an occupational name for those involved in the textile and cloth trade.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Petzold

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

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 Petzold 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 Petzold 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 Petzold was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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