2000
#121,780
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 131
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wartchow
A locational surname derived from a place name in Pomerania.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 138 Americans carry the last name Wartchow. That puts it at #142,049 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,483,727 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wartchow 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
138
1 in 2,483,727
Census rank
#142,049
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
120
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 120 bearers of the surname Wartchow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142049th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wartchow, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wartchow
The surname Wartchow is of German origin and can be traced back to the 16th century. It is believed to have originated from the town of Wartchow, located in the region of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern in northern Germany. The name itself is likely derived from the Slavic word "Warta," meaning a river or stream, and the German suffix "-ow," indicating a place name.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wartchow can be found in the church records of the town of Wartchow itself, dating back to the late 1500s. These records mention several families with this surname residing in the area during that time period.
In the 17th century, the name Wartchow appears in various historical documents and records related to the Thirty Years' War, which ravaged much of central Europe between 1618 and 1648. Some notable individuals bearing this surname during this era include Hans Wartchow, a military officer who served in the Swedish army during the later stages of the war, and Joachim Wartchow, a prominent merchant and landowner from the town of Wartchow.
As the centuries progressed, the Wartchow name spread beyond its original geographic origins, with families carrying this surname migrating to other parts of Germany and eventually to other countries as well. One notable figure from the 18th century was Johann Friedrich Wartchow, a German composer and organist who lived from 1715 to 1785.
In the 19th century, the name Wartchow continued to be found throughout various regions of Germany, as well as in areas with significant German immigration, such as parts of the United States and Canada. One notable individual from this era was Carl Wartchow, a German-American artist and painter who lived from 1832 to 1902.
Another noteworthy individual with the surname Wartchow was Rudolf Wartchow, a German military officer and colonial administrator who served in German East Africa (present-day Tanzania) in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
While the surname Wartchow may not be as common as some other German names, it has a rich history dating back several centuries and can be found in various historical records and documents throughout the ages.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wartchow
Among Census respondents with the surname Wartchow, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wartchow 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 Wartchow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White82.5% · 99
- Hispanic or Latino7.5% · 9
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.3% · 4
- Two or more races3.3% · 4
- Black or African American2.5% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wartchow
Wartchow 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
#133,863
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 126
-5 bearers (-3.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,083 places
2020
#142,049
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
-6 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 8,186 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #121,780 | 131 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #133,863 | 126 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-3.8%) | Down 12,083 places |
| 2020 | #142,049 | 120 | 0.04 | -6 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 8,186 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 Wartchow 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 | #133,863 | #142,049 | -6.1% |
| Count | 126 | 120 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 0.4% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wartchow bearers went from 126 to 120 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 8,186 positions in the national ranking, going from #133,863 to #142,049.
FAQ
Wartchow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wartchow?
Name Census estimates that about 138 living Americans carry the surname Wartchow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,483,727 residents.
How common is Wartchow?
Wartchow ranks #142,049 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 120 people with the surname Wartchow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (138), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Wartchow.
Has Wartchow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wartchow went from 126 recorded bearers to 120. That is a decrease of 6 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #133,863 to #142,049.
What does the Census say about the background of Wartchow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wartchow, the largest self-reported group is White at 82.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (7.5%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%). 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 Wartchow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 82.5% (99 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wartchow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (82.5%), Hispanic (7.5%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.3%). 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 Wartchow (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 Wartchow mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name in Pomerania. 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 Wartchow (0.04 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 Wartchow?
You can see how many people have the surname Wartchow on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.