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

Wachter, 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 Wachter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wachter in America

Wachter is the 7247th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wachter surname appeared 4,601 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Wachter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wachter 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 Wachter

The surname Wachter originated in Germany during the medieval period, derived from the Middle High German word "wahter," which means "watchman" or "guard." This occupation-based surname was given to individuals who served as sentries, night watchmen, or guards, typically employed by towns, cities, or noble households.

The earliest known record of the surname Wachter dates back to the 13th century, appearing in various historical documents and manuscripts from regions such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. One notable mention is found in the "Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus" from 1249, where a certain "Conradus Wachter" is listed as a witness to a legal transaction.

In the 14th century, the surname gained prominence in the city of Nuremberg, where several members of the Wachter family were recorded as influential citizens and merchants. One of the most notable figures was Hans Wachter (1438-1512), a successful businessman and member of the city council.

The Wachter surname was also associated with various place names, such as Wachtersbach in Hesse and Wachterberg in Rhineland-Palatinate. These place names likely derived from individuals who held the occupation of watchman or guard in those locations.

Throughout history, several notable individuals bore the surname Wachter. Among them were Johannes Wachter (1598-1657), a German theologian and professor at the University of Tübingen; Johann Friedrich Wachter (1635-1697), a German philologist and author of the influential "Glossarium Germanicum"; and Carl Gottlob Wachter (1762-1838), a German jurist and legal scholar.

In the 19th century, the Wachter family produced several accomplished artists and musicians, including Johann Martin Wachter (1800-1873), a German painter known for his landscapes and historical scenes, and Theodor Wachter (1823-1893), a German composer and conductor who served as the director of the Leipzig Conservatory of Music.

Another notable figure was Maximilian Wachter (1860-1928), a German politician and member of the Reichstag, who played a significant role in the development of social welfare policies in Germany during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wachter

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

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

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

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