2010
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.03
Very Rare Last name
Wachholtz
A surname of German origin meaning "watchman of the forest".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 122 Americans carry the last name Wachholtz. That puts it at #152,339 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,809,462 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wachholtz 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
122
1 in 2,809,462
Census rank
#152,339
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
106
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 106 bearers of the surname Wachholtz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 152339th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wachholtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wachholtz
The surname WACHHOLTZ is of German origin and dates back to the late medieval period. It is believed to have originated in the northern regions of Germany, particularly in areas such as Mecklenburg and Pomerania. The name is derived from the Middle Low German word "wacholder," which means "juniper."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name WACHHOLTZ can be found in the records of the city of Rostock, dating back to the 15th century. The name was likely given to individuals who lived near juniper bushes or worked with juniper wood, which was commonly used for various purposes in those times.
In the 16th century, the WACHHOLTZ name appeared in the church records of the town of Greifswald, located in what is now the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern. These records provide valuable insights into the lives and histories of families bearing this surname.
The earliest known bearer of the WACHHOLTZ name was Hans WACHHOLTZ, who was born in the village of Neubukow, near Rostock, in 1512. He was a well-respected farmer and landowner in the region.
During the 17th century, the WACHHOLTZ family gained prominence in the city of Stralsund, where several members held important positions in the local government and trade guilds. One notable figure was Johann WACHHOLTZ (1624-1688), a successful merchant and civic leader.
As the WACHHOLTZ family spread across northern Germany, variations in the spelling of the name emerged, including WACHHOLT, WACHHOLZ, and WACHOLZ. These variations often reflected regional dialects and linguistic differences.
In the 19th century, the WACHHOLTZ name was associated with several prominent scholars and intellectuals. One such figure was Friedrich WACHHOLTZ (1801-1867), a renowned historian and professor at the University of Rostock, who published numerous works on the history of Mecklenburg and Pomerania.
Another notable bearer of the WACHHOLTZ name was Gustav WACHHOLTZ (1848-1912), a pioneering engineer and inventor who made significant contributions to the development of early telecommunications technologies.
Throughout its long history, the WACHHOLTZ surname has been carried by individuals from various walks of life, including farmers, artisans, merchants, scholars, and professionals. While its origins may be humble, the name has left an indelible mark on the cultural and historical tapestry of northern Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wachholtz
Among Census respondents with the surname Wachholtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wachholtz 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 Wachholtz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.3% · 100
- Hispanic or Latino1.9% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wachholtz
Wachholtz 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
#152,339
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 106
+4 bearers (+3.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,093 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #152,339 | 106 | 0.04 | +4 bearers (+3.9%) | Up 6,093 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 Wachholtz 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 | #158,432 | #152,339 | 3.8% |
| Count | 102 | 106 | 3.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 18.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wachholtz bearers went from 102 to 106 (+3.9% change). The surname moved up 6,093 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #152,339.
FAQ
Wachholtz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wachholtz?
Name Census estimates that about 122 living Americans carry the surname Wachholtz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,809,462 residents.
How common is Wachholtz?
Wachholtz ranks #152,339 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 106 people with the surname Wachholtz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (122), 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 Wachholtz.
Has Wachholtz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wachholtz went from 102 recorded bearers to 106. That is an increase of 4 (+3.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #152,339.
What does the Census say about the background of Wachholtz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wachholtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (1.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Wachholtz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.3% (100 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wachholtz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.3%), Hispanic (1.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.9%). 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 Wachholtz (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 Wachholtz mean?
A surname of German origin meaning "watchman of the forest". 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 Wachholtz (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 many people have the surname Wachholtz?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.