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

Wachholder, 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 Wachholder surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wachholder in America

Wachholder is the 159712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wachholder surname appeared 101 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 Wachholder.

The history of the last name Wachholder

The surname Wachholder is of German origin, originating in the late Middle Ages, around the 15th century. The name is derived from the German word "Wacholder," which means "juniper." It is believed that the name was initially given to individuals who lived near or in an area with a significant presence of juniper trees or bushes.

The earliest known record of the name Wachholder can be traced back to a document from the city of Nuremberg in 1487, where a certain Hans Wachholder is mentioned as a citizen. This suggests that the name was already established in the region by that time.

Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals bearing the surname Wachholder. One such individual was Johann Wachholder (1570-1632), a German Protestant theologian and writer who served as a pastor in various churches in Saxony.

Another notable figure was Christoph Wachholder (1612-1677), a German composer and organist who worked in various churches in Thuringia and Saxony. His compositions, primarily sacred works, were highly regarded during his lifetime.

In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Wachholder (1723-1798) was a prominent German jurist and legal scholar. He served as a professor of law at the University of Halle and published several influential works on German law.

The name Wachholder can also be found in various geographical locations, particularly in Germany. For instance, there is a village called Wachholder in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, which likely derived its name from the presence of juniper trees in the area.

Historically, the surname Wachholder has also been recorded with slight variations in spelling, such as Wachholdter, Wachholtzer, or Wachholter. These variations were common in the past due to different regional dialects and scribal errors.

While not as prominent as some other German surnames, Wachholder has maintained a presence throughout German history, with individuals bearing this name making notable contributions in fields such as theology, music, and law.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wachholder

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

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 Wachholder 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.

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

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

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