2000
#13,469
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,072
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.77
Rare Last name
Walrath
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone living near a wood or forest.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,400 Americans carry the last name Walrath. That puts it at #13,826 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 142,814 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Walrath 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
2.4K
1 in 142,814
Census rank
#13,826
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.7
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,093 bearers of the surname Walrath in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 13826th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Walrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Walrath
The surname Walrath has its origins in Germany, dating back to the medieval period. It is believed to be derived from the Germanic words "wald" meaning "forest" and "rath" meaning "counsel" or "advisor." This suggests that the name may have been originally bestowed upon someone who lived or worked near a forest or provided counsel or advice related to forest resources.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Walrath can be found in the town of Waldrath, located in the Rhineland region of Germany. Historical records indicate that a family bearing this surname lived in Waldrath as early as the 13th century. It is possible that the name originated as a reference to this particular location.
In the 15th century, a prominent figure named Hans Walrath was documented as a respected member of the guilds in the city of Cologne. His son, Johann Walrath, born in 1472, went on to become a renowned scholar and theologian, serving as a professor at the University of Cologne.
During the 17th and 18th centuries, many individuals with the surname Walrath emigrated from Germany to the American colonies, particularly to Pennsylvania and New York. One notable figure was Johann Walrath, who arrived in New York in the early 1700s and established a successful farming community in the Hudson Valley region.
Another individual of historical significance was Friedrich Walrath, born in 1785 in Hesse, Germany. He served as a soldier in the Napoleonic Wars before emigrating to the United States in 1820. Friedrich Walrath became a prominent figure in the German-American community of Cincinnati, Ohio, where he was involved in various civic and cultural organizations.
In the 19th century, Jacob Walrath, born in 1832 in Pennsylvania, gained recognition as a skilled woodworker and furniture maker. His intricate designs and craftsmanship were highly sought after, and his pieces are now considered valuable antiques.
Throughout its history, the surname Walrath has been associated with various occupations, from farmers and craftsmen to scholars and community leaders. While the name's origins can be traced back to medieval Germany, it has since spread to various parts of the world, carried by generations of families who have contributed to the rich tapestry of cultural and historical narratives.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Walrath
Among Census respondents with the surname Walrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Walrath 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 Walrath surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.5% · 1,916
- Hispanic or Latino3.9% · 81
- Two or more races2.8% · 59
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.1% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 8
- Black or African American0.3% · 7
Timeline
Historical Census data for Walrath
Walrath appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#14,006
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,150
+78 bearers (+3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.73
Rank movement Down 537 places
2020
#13,826
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,093
-57 bearers (-2.7%)
Per 100,000 0.70
Rank movement Up 180 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #13,469 | 2,072 | 0.77 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #14,006 | 2,150 | 0.73 | +78 bearers (+3.8%) | Down 537 places |
| 2020 | #13,826 | 2,093 | 0.70 | -57 bearers (-2.7%) | Up 180 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 Walrath 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 | #14,006 | #13,826 | 1.3% |
| Count | 2,150 | 2,093 | -2.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.73 | 0.70 | -4.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Walrath bearers went from 2,150 to 2,093 (-2.7% change). The surname moved up 180 positions in the national ranking, going from #14,006 to #13,826.
FAQ
Walrath surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Walrath?
Name Census estimates that about 2,400 living Americans carry the surname Walrath. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 142,814 residents.
How common is Walrath?
Walrath ranks #13,826 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.70 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,093 people with the surname Walrath. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,400), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.7 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.70 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Walrath.
Has Walrath become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Walrath went from 2,150 recorded bearers to 2,093. That is a decrease of 57 (-2.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #14,006 to #13,826.
What does the Census say about the background of Walrath?
Among Census respondents with the surname Walrath, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.9%) and Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Walrath in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.5% (1,916 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Walrath appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.5%), Hispanic (3.9%), Two or More Races (2.8%). 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 Walrath (2000, 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 Walrath mean?
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone living near a wood or 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 Walrath (0.70 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 last name Walrath?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Walrath on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.