2010
#143,149
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Vitense
An anglicized spelling of the German surname derived from the name Vitus.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 116 Americans carry the last name Vitense. That puts it at #155,270 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,954,779 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Vitense 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
116
1 in 2,954,779
Census rank
#155,270
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
101
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 101 bearers of the surname Vitense in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 155270th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Vitense, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Vitense
The surname Vitense is of German origin, with roots dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony-Anhalt, a state in eastern Germany. The name is derived from the Old High German word "widun," which means "wood" or "forest."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Vitense can be found in the Liber Censuum, a medieval census of landowners and tenants in the region. This document, compiled in the 13th century, mentions a family known as the "Vitensens" residing in the town of Wittenberg.
During the 15th century, the name Vitense appeared in various town records and church registries across central and eastern Germany. One notable individual was Hans Vitense, a merchant from Leipzig who was born in 1462 and was involved in the thriving textile trade of the region.
In the 16th century, the Vitense name gained prominence with the birth of Martin Vitense (1497-1561), a Lutheran theologian and reformer who worked closely with Martin Luther. He played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation and was known for his translations of religious texts.
Another notable figure bearing the Vitense surname was Johann Vitense (1633-1705), a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of Saxe-Weimar. His compositions, particularly his sacred works, were highly regarded during his lifetime.
In the 19th century, the name Vitense was associated with Friedrich Vitense (1819-1892), a German journalist and political activist who advocated for democratic reforms and workers' rights. He was a founding member of the Social Democratic Workers' Party, the precursor to the modern Social Democratic Party of Germany.
Another notable figure was Theodor Vitense (1861-1924), a German-American engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early automobiles and internal combustion engines. He held numerous patents and worked for several prominent automotive companies in the United States.
As the name Vitense spread throughout Germany and beyond, it underwent various spelling variations, such as Vitens, Vittens, and Vitenz. However, the original spelling of Vitense remained the most widely recognized form.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Vitense
Among Census respondents with the surname Vitense, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Vitense 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 Vitense surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 101
Timeline
Historical Census data for Vitense
Vitense appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#155,270
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 101
-15 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,121 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #143,149 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #155,270 | 101 | 0.03 | -15 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 12,121 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 Vitense 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 | #143,149 | #155,270 | -8.5% |
| Count | 116 | 101 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -15.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Vitense bearers went from 116 to 101 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 12,121 positions in the national ranking, going from #143,149 to #155,270.
FAQ
Vitense surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Vitense?
Name Census estimates that about 116 living Americans carry the surname Vitense. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,954,779 residents.
How common is Vitense?
Vitense ranks #155,270 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 101 people with the surname Vitense. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (116), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Vitense.
Has Vitense become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Vitense went from 116 recorded bearers to 101. That is a decrease of 15 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #143,149 to #155,270.
What does the Census say about the background of Vitense?
Among Census respondents with the surname Vitense, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Vitense in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (101 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Vitense appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Vitense (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 Vitense mean?
An anglicized spelling of the German surname derived from the name Vitus. 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 Vitense (0.03 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 Americans have the surname Vitense?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.