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

Wald, 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 Wald surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wald in America

Wald is the 8172nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wald surname appeared 4,057 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 Wald.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wald 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 Wald

The surname WALD originated in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "wald" which means "forest" or "wooded area". The name likely referred to someone who lived near or in a forested area.

In the early days, the WALD surname was found primarily in regions of Germany such as Bavaria, Saxony, and Westphalia. Variations in spelling included Waldt, Walde, and Walth. The name appears in some early German records and manuscripts from the 13th and 14th centuries.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WALD surname is from a 1295 document in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, which mentions a "Heinricus Walde". Another early example is a 1327 record from the city of Nuremberg that references a "Conrad Wald".

Over the centuries, several notable individuals have borne the WALD surname. These include Johann Wald (1556-1637), a German Lutheran theologian and professor at the University of Jena. Another was Johann Gottfried Wald (1686-1766), a German organist and composer from Erfurt.

In the 19th century, there was Friedrich Wald (1817-1870), a German painter and lithographer from Nuremberg. Additionally, there was Eduard Wald (1861-1935), a German author and playwright born in Königsberg.

Another prominent figure was Oskar Wald (1879-1955), an Austrian conductor and composer who worked extensively in Germany and Austria during the early 20th century.

The WALD surname has also been associated with various place names in Germany, such as Waldau, Waldeck, and Waldsee, which likely contributed to the name's origins and spread.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wald

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

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

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

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