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

Platz, 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 Platz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Platz in America

Platz is the 11339th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Platz surname appeared 2,783 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Platz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Platz 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 Platz

The surname Platz has its origins in Germany, dating back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "platz," which means "place" or "square." This suggests that the name may have been given to someone who lived near a town square or marketplace.

The earliest recorded instance of the name Platz can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. In 1275, a man named Hans Platz was listed in a census record from the town of Regensburg. The name also appears in various medieval manuscripts and records from other parts of southern Germany during this period.

In the 14th century, the Platz surname began to spread to other regions of Germany, as well as neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. Historical records from this time show variations in spelling, such as Platz, Platze, and Platzius.

One notable figure in the history of the Platz name was Johann Platz, a German artist and engraver who lived from 1647 to 1736. He was renowned for his intricate copper engravings and worked in the cities of Nuremberg and Augsburg.

Another individual of note was Peter Platz, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1570 to 1631. He was a professor at the University of Wittenberg and wrote several influential works on theology and ethics.

In the 19th century, the Platz surname found its way to other parts of Europe and beyond. One example is Friedrich Platz, a German-born artist who lived from 1808 to 1887 and spent much of his life in Denmark, painting landscapes and portraits.

The name Platz also has a history in England, likely brought over by German immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries. One notable Englishman with this surname was William Platz, a businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1835 to 1912 and donated significant sums to various charitable causes.

While the Platz surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to many other parts of the world, carried by generations of migration and cultural exchange.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Platz

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

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

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

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