2000
#133,114
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Waltermeyer
A surname derived from the combination of German personal name "Walter" and occupational surname "Meier" referring to a bailiff or steward.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 119 Americans carry the last name Waltermeyer. That puts it at #153,590 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.03 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,880,289 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waltermeyer 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
119
1 in 2,880,289
Census rank
#153,590
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
104
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 104 bearers of the surname Waltermeyer in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.03 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 153590th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waltermeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (1.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waltermeyer
The surname WALTERMEYER originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is a combination of two German words, "Walter" meaning "ruler of the army" and "Meyer" meaning "farmer" or "steward." The name likely referred to a person who oversaw agricultural activities or managed a farm.
The earliest known record of the WALTERMEYER name appears in a land registry from the town of Wetzlar, in the Hesse region of Germany, dated 1284. This document lists a "Walther Meyger" as a landowner in the area. Other early spellings include "Waltermeier" and "Waltermeyer."
In the 14th century, the WALTERMEYER name can be found in various town records and church registers across central and western Germany, particularly in the regions of Hesse, Rhineland-Palatinate, and Saarland. This suggests that the name was well-established in these areas during this period.
One notable historical figure bearing the WALTERMEYER surname was Johannes Waltermeyer (1542-1607), a Protestant theologian and rector of the University of Marburg. He was a prominent figure in the Protestant Reformation and authored several theological works.
Another individual of note was Katharina Waltermeyer (1598-1674), a German midwife and herbalist from the town of Darmstadt. She was widely respected for her medical knowledge and contributed to the advancement of midwifery practices in the region.
In the 18th century, the WALTERMEYER name appears in records from the town of Neuwied, where a family of that name owned a successful brewing business. One member, Friedrich Waltermeyer (1724-1801), was a respected citizen and served as a town councilor.
During the 19th century, several individuals with the WALTERMEYER surname achieved recognition in various fields. These include Hermann Waltermeyer (1821-1890), a German painter known for his landscapes and portraits, and Karl Waltermeyer (1856-1934), a German engineer who contributed to the development of early automotive technology.
Another noteworthy figure was Sophie Waltermeyer (1870-1952), a German educator and advocate for women's rights. She founded several schools for girls and worked to promote educational opportunities for women in Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waltermeyer
Among Census respondents with the surname Waltermeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (1.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Waltermeyer 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 Waltermeyer surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 96
- Two or more races4.8% · 5
- Black or African American1.9% · 2
- Hispanic or Latino1.0% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waltermeyer
Waltermeyer 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
#134,712
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 125
+8 bearers (+6.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,598 places
2020
#153,590
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
-21 bearers (-16.8%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 18,878 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #133,114 | 117 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #134,712 | 125 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.8%) | Down 1,598 places |
| 2020 | #153,590 | 104 | 0.03 | -21 bearers (-16.8%) | Down 18,878 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 Waltermeyer 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 | #134,712 | #153,590 | -14.0% |
| Count | 125 | 104 | -16.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.03 | -13.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waltermeyer bearers went from 125 to 104 (-16.8% change). The surname moved down 18,878 positions in the national ranking, going from #134,712 to #153,590.
FAQ
Waltermeyer surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waltermeyer?
Name Census estimates that about 119 living Americans carry the surname Waltermeyer. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,880,289 residents.
How common is Waltermeyer?
Waltermeyer ranks #153,590 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.03 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 104 people with the surname Waltermeyer. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (119), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.03 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.03 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 Waltermeyer.
Has Waltermeyer become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waltermeyer went from 125 recorded bearers to 104. That is a decrease of 21 (-16.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #134,712 to #153,590.
What does the Census say about the background of Waltermeyer?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waltermeyer, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.8%) and Black (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 Waltermeyer in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (96 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waltermeyer appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Two or More Races (4.8%), Black (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 Waltermeyer (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 Waltermeyer mean?
A surname derived from the combination of German personal name "Walter" and occupational surname "Meier" referring to a bailiff or steward. 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 Waltermeyer (0.03 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 Waltermeyer?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the surname Waltermeyer at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.