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

Raatz, 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 Raatz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Raatz in America

Raatz is the 25332nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Raatz surname appeared 977 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 Raatz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Raatz 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 Raatz

The surname Raatz is of German origin and can be traced back to the early 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the Low German word "Rath," meaning "council" or "advice." This name was likely given to someone who served as a member of a local council or who was known for providing wise counsel.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Raatz can be found in the German state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where it was documented in church records dating back to the late 1500s. The name was also prevalent in other northern German regions, such as Schleswig-Holstein and Lower Saxony.

In the 17th century, the name Raatz appeared in various historical documents, including land records and tax rolls. For instance, in 1642, a man named Hans Raatz was listed as a landowner in the village of Neuenkirchen, near the city of Hamburg.

A notable figure bearing the Raatz surname was Johann Raatz (1628-1697), a German theologian and author who served as a pastor in the town of Lübeck. His published works include several sermons and religious treatises that were widely circulated during his lifetime.

Another historical figure was Wilhelm Raatz (1822-1892), a German architect and urban planner. He was responsible for designing several notable buildings in Berlin, including the Reichsbank and the Reichspostamt (Imperial Postal Office).

In the 19th century, the name Raatz also spread to other parts of Europe and beyond. For example, a prominent family with this surname settled in the Russian Empire, and some members became successful merchants and industrialists. One such individual was Alexander Raatz (1843-1919), a Russian entrepreneur who founded a successful textile manufacturing company in Moscow.

Other notable individuals with the surname Raatz include Karl Raatz (1885-1959), a German politician and member of the Reichstag during the Weimar Republic, and Erich Raatz (1898-1976), a German military officer who served in both World Wars.

While the name Raatz has its roots in northern Germany, it has since spread to various other countries due to emigration. However, its origins can be traced back to the early modern period, when it was associated with individuals who held positions of authority or provided valuable counsel in their communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Raatz

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

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

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

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