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

Wach, 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 Wach surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wach in America

Wach is the 28704th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wach surname appeared 830 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 Wach.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wach 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 Wach

The surname WACH has its origins in Poland, with records of the name dating back to the 12th century. It is believed to have derived from the Polish word "wach," meaning "guard" or "watchman," suggesting that the earliest bearers of this name were likely employed as sentries or watchmen.

One of the earliest documented instances of the WACH surname can be found in a historical record from the town of Krakow, dated around 1220. This record mentions a man named Jakub Wach, who was a member of the town's militia responsible for guarding the city gates.

During the Middle Ages, the WACH name was predominantly concentrated in the regions of Lesser Poland and Silesia. As these areas were part of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, the name spread to other parts of the kingdom, including modern-day Lithuania and Belarus.

In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the WACH surname was Jan Wach (1522-1587), a Polish nobleman and military commander who fought in the Livonian War against Russia. His exploits and bravery in battle earned him recognition and respect among his contemporaries.

Another prominent individual with the WACH surname was Marcin Wach (1660-1739), a Polish architect and engineer who was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and fortifications in the city of Krakow.

In the 19th century, the WACH name gained further recognition with the birth of Stanisław Wach (1831-1897), a renowned Polish painter and illustrator whose works captured the beauty of the Polish countryside and rural life.

As the Polish diaspora spread across the world, the WACH surname traveled with them. In the early 20th century, a notable figure was Władysław Wach (1886-1937), a Polish politician and journalist who served as a member of the Polish Sejm (parliament) and was actively involved in the fight for Polish independence.

Another notable bearer of the WACH surname was Adam Wach (1905-1988), a Polish mathematician and logician who made significant contributions to the field of mathematical logic and set theory.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wach

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

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

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

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