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

Vorwerk, 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 Vorwerk surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Vorwerk in America

Vorwerk is the 49087th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Vorwerk surname appeared 429 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 Vorwerk.

We can also compare 2010 data for Vorwerk 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 Vorwerk

The surname Vorwerk is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the 14th century. It is a locational name, derived from the German word "Vorwerk," which refers to an outlying farm or grange belonging to a larger manor or monastic estate. The name likely originated in various regions of Germany where such farming settlements existed.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Vorwerk can be found in the Hanseatic town of Lübeck, where a certain Heinrich Vorwerk was mentioned in a document dated 1389. Another early record comes from the town of Halle in Saxony-Anhalt, where a Johannes Vorwerk was listed in the town's tax records in 1472.

During the 16th century, the surname appeared in various parts of Germany, including the regions of Saxony, Thuringia, and Brandenburg. Notable individuals from this period include Peter Vorwerk (1497-1562), a Lutheran theologian and reformer from Saxony, and Hans Vorwerk (1523-1591), a renowned cartographer and mapmaker from Nuremberg.

In the 17th century, the Vorwerk surname spread further across Germany, with records showing individuals bearing the name in areas such as Westphalia, Hesse, and the Rhineland. One notable figure from this time was Johann Vorwerk (1621-1688), a German composer and organist who served at the court of the Dukes of Saxe-Weimar.

The 18th century saw the Vorwerk name continue to flourish, with individuals scattered throughout various German states and principalities. One prominent figure was Johann Friedrich Vorwerk (1746-1812), a German entrepreneur who established a successful textile manufacturing company in the town of Krefeld.

As German emigration increased in the 19th century, the Vorwerk surname began to spread beyond the borders of Germany. Among notable individuals from this period was Karl Friedrich Vorwerk (1813-1879), a German-American artist and painter who settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, and became known for his landscapes and portraits.

Throughout its history, the surname Vorwerk has been associated with various occupations, including farming, craftsmanship, and entrepreneurship, reflecting its origins as a locational name tied to agricultural settlements. While the name may have evolved in spelling and pronunciation over the centuries, its roots remain firmly grounded in the German language and the country's rich cultural heritage.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Vorwerk

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

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

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

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