2000
#141,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 108
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Strelitz
A surname of German origin meaning "from Strelitz", a town in northeastern Germany.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 128 Americans carry the last name Strelitz. That puts it at #147,954 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,677,768 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Strelitz 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
128
1 in 2,677,768
Census rank
#147,954
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
112
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 112 bearers of the surname Strelitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 147954th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Strelitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Strelitz
The surname Strelitz originated in Germany, specifically in the town of Neustrelitz, located in the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern region. The name is believed to have derived from the Slavic word "strelci," meaning "archers" or "shooters," suggesting a connection to military or hunting activities in the area's history.
The earliest documented instances of the Strelitz surname can be traced back to the 15th century in various German records and documents. One notable mention is found in the Hanseatic League's archives, which reference a merchant named Hans Strelitz from Rostock, a city in the same region, in the year 1487.
In the 16th century, the town of Neustrelitz gained prominence as the residence of the Dukes of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, a branch of the House of Mecklenburg. This royal connection likely contributed to the wider recognition and use of the Strelitz name throughout the region and beyond.
One of the earliest famous individuals with the Strelitz surname was Georg Adam Strelitz (1619-1674), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin. His works, including motets and other sacred music, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 18th century, Princess Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz (1744-1818) married King George III of Great Britain, becoming Queen consort of the United Kingdom. This marriage brought the Strelitz name into the British royal family and increased its recognition across Europe.
Another notable figure was Karl Friedrich von Strelitz (1785-1863), a Prussian military officer who served in the Napoleonic Wars and later became a prominent writer and historian, publishing works on military strategy and tactics.
During the 19th century, the Strelitz surname spread beyond Germany as families emigrated to other parts of Europe and North America. One example is Johann Strelitz (1812-1887), a German immigrant to the United States who became a successful businessman and philanthropist in Philadelphia.
Other individuals with the Strelitz surname include Otto Strelitz (1879-1941), a German architect known for his Art Nouveau and Art Deco buildings in Berlin and Hamburg, and Erich Strelitz (1901-1978), a German-American physicist who made significant contributions to the development of radar technology during World War II.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Strelitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Strelitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (6.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Strelitz 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 Strelitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White80.4% · 90
- Hispanic or Latino9.8% · 11
- Two or more races6.3% · 7
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Strelitz
Strelitz 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
#149,395
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 110
+2 bearers (+1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,607 places
2020
#147,954
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
+2 bearers (+1.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 1,441 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #141,788 | 108 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #149,395 | 110 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.9%) | Down 7,607 places |
| 2020 | #147,954 | 112 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.8%) | Up 1,441 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 Strelitz 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 | #149,395 | #147,954 | 1.0% |
| Count | 110 | 112 | 1.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -6.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Strelitz bearers went from 110 to 112 (+1.8% change). The surname moved up 1,441 positions in the national ranking, going from #149,395 to #147,954.
FAQ
Strelitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Strelitz?
Name Census estimates that about 128 living Americans carry the surname Strelitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,677,768 residents.
How common is Strelitz?
Strelitz ranks #147,954 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 112 people with the surname Strelitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (128), 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 Strelitz.
Has Strelitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Strelitz went from 110 recorded bearers to 112. That is an increase of 2 (+1.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #149,395 to #147,954.
What does the Census say about the background of Strelitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Strelitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 80.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (9.8%) and Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Strelitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 80.4% (90 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Strelitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (80.4%), Hispanic (9.8%), Two or More Races (6.3%). 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 Strelitz (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 Strelitz mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "from Strelitz", a town in northeastern Germany. 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 Strelitz (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 common is the surname Strelitz?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Strelitz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.