2000
#124,109
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 128
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Piwetz
A German surname likely derived from a place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 130 Americans carry the last name Piwetz. That puts it at #147,221 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,636,572 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Piwetz 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
130
1 in 2,636,572
Census rank
#147,221
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
113
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 113 bearers of the surname Piwetz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147221st position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Piwetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Piwetz
The surname Piwetz is believed to have originated in Germany, likely in the late Middle Ages or early modern period. Its roots can be traced back to the Old German word "piwen," which means "to strike" or "to beat." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to an occupation or trade related to striking or beating, such as a blacksmith or a drummer.
The earliest known record of the name Piwetz dates back to the 16th century, with a mention of Hans Piwetz in a church registry from the town of Jena, in what is now the state of Thuringia, Germany. This area, along with other regions of central and eastern Germany, seems to have been the primary hub for families bearing this surname in its early days.
In the 17th century, the name can be found in various historical documents, including tax records and land deeds, in towns and villages across parts of Saxony, Brandenburg, and Silesia. One notable individual from this period was Johann Piwetz, a Lutheran minister who lived in the town of Zittau, Saxony, between 1612 and 1681.
As the centuries progressed, the Piwetz surname spread to other parts of Europe, with some variations in spelling emerging, such as Piwitz, Piwotz, and Piwitz. In the 19th century, a prominent figure bearing this name was Karl Piwetz, a German composer and music teacher who lived from 1811 to 1888.
The early 20th century saw the name Piwetz appear in various corners of the world, likely due to emigration from Germany and other European countries. For instance, there was a Polish-born actor named Wladyslaw Piwetz, who lived from 1898 to 1977 and appeared in several films in the United States and Europe.
Another notable individual was Theodor Piwetz, an Austrian-born engineer and inventor who lived from 1851 to 1917. He made significant contributions to the development of electric motors and generators, and held numerous patents in the field of electrical engineering.
In summary, the surname Piwetz has a rich history that can be traced back to medieval Germany, where it likely originated as an occupational name. Over the centuries, it has been carried by individuals from diverse walks of life, from religious leaders and composers to actors and inventors, and has spread across various regions of Europe and beyond.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Piwetz
Among Census respondents with the surname Piwetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Piwetz 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 Piwetz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.1% · 95
- Hispanic or Latino8.8% · 10
- Two or more races4.4% · 5
- Black or African American1.8% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Piwetz
Piwetz 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
#150,452
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-19 bearers (-14.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,343 places
2020
#147,221
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
+4 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 3,231 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #124,109 | 128 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #150,452 | 109 | 0.04 | -19 bearers (-14.8%) | Down 26,343 places |
| 2020 | #147,221 | 113 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.7%) | Up 3,231 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 Piwetz 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 | #150,452 | #147,221 | 2.1% |
| Count | 109 | 113 | 3.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -5.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Piwetz bearers went from 109 to 113 (+3.7% change). The surname moved up 3,231 positions in the national ranking, going from #150,452 to #147,221.
FAQ
Piwetz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Piwetz?
Name Census estimates that about 130 living Americans carry the surname Piwetz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,636,572 residents.
How common is Piwetz?
Piwetz ranks #147,221 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 113 people with the surname Piwetz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (130), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Piwetz.
Has Piwetz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Piwetz went from 109 recorded bearers to 113. That is an increase of 4 (+3.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #150,452 to #147,221.
What does the Census say about the background of Piwetz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Piwetz, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (8.8%) and Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Piwetz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.1% (95 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Piwetz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.1%), Hispanic (8.8%), Two or More Races (4.4%). 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 Piwetz (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 Piwetz mean?
A German surname likely derived from a place name. 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 Piwetz (0.04 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 Piwetz?
Find out how many people have the last name Piwetz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.