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

Wachtel, 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 Wachtel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wachtel in America

Wachtel is the 14636th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wachtel surname appeared 2,033 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wachtel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wachtel 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 Wachtel

The surname Wachtel originated in Germany and can be traced back to the Middle Ages. It is derived from the German word "wachtel," which means "quail," likely referring to a person who caught or traded in these birds. The earliest known spelling variations of this name include Wachtel, Wachtel, and Wachtle.

The Wachtel name first appeared in various records and manuscripts from the 13th century onwards, such as tax rolls, parish registers, and legal documents. It is believed that some of the earliest bearers of this surname lived in the region of Bavaria, where the name was most prevalent during the medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname was Hans Wachtel, a merchant from Nuremberg, who was mentioned in a trade register dated 1387. Another notable bearer of this name was Peter Wachtel, a renowned clockmaker from Augsburg, who lived between 1486 and 1551.

In the 16th century, the Wachtel family established itself as a prominent lineage in the city of Ulm, with several members holding important positions in the local government and trade guilds. Johann Wachtel (1528-1597) was a respected alderman and city councilor in Ulm during this period.

As the Wachtel family spread throughout Germany and other parts of Europe, the name became associated with various place names, such as Wachtelhausen and Wachtelborn, which further contributed to its diversity in spelling and pronunciation.

Other notable individuals with the Wachtel surname include:

1. Georg Philipp Wachtel (1723-1796), a German composer and organist who served as Kapellmeister in Mannheim.
2. Theodor Wachtel (1823-1893), a German operatic tenor who achieved international fame for his performances in the works of Richard Wagner.
3. Elise Wachtel (1833-1904), a German-American educator and advocate for women's rights, who founded the Wachtel College for Women in Pennsylvania.
4. Leopold Wachtel (1867-1935), an Austrian writer and journalist known for his satirical works and contributions to the Viennese literary scene.
5. Ernst Wachtel (1901-1972), a German-American psychoanalyst and author who made significant contributions to the study of transference and countertransference in psychotherapy.

While the Wachtel surname has its roots in medieval Germany, it has since become widespread throughout Europe and beyond, with bearers of this name making notable contributions in various fields over the centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wachtel

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

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

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

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