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

Watjen, 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 Watjen surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Watjen in America

Watjen is the 134712th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Watjen surname appeared 125 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Watjen.

We can also compare 2010 data for Watjen 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 Watjen

The surname Watjen is of German origin, deriving from the region of Lower Saxony in northern Germany. It is believed to have emerged during the Middle Ages, around the 13th or 14th century.

The name Watjen is thought to be a locational surname, stemming from a specific place or area. One theory suggests it may be derived from the German word "Wat," which refers to a low-lying, marshy area or wetland. Another possibility is that it comes from the Old German word "Watan," meaning "to go" or "to wander."

Earliest records of the Watjen name can be traced back to the 16th century in various German documents and chronicles. One notable mention is found in the "Kirchenbuch" (church book) of the town of Neuenbeken, which lists a Johann Watjen born in 1572.

In the 17th century, the name appears in several historical records, including the "Steuerlisten" (tax lists) of the city of Hamburg. A merchant named Hans Watjen is listed in these records, dating back to 1642.

One of the earliest known bearers of the Watjen surname was Johann Watjen (1648-1722), a respected theologian and author from Hanover, who published several works on religious topics during his lifetime.

Another notable figure was Carl Watjen (1808-1877), a German jurist and legal scholar from Bremen. He made significant contributions to the field of commercial law and is considered a pioneer in the development of modern maritime law.

In the 19th century, the Watjen name gained prominence with the birth of Wilhelm Watjen (1838-1926), a German businessman and industrialist from Hamburg. He founded the Watjen & Co. shipping company, which played a crucial role in the development of international trade in the region.

Other individuals with the Watjen surname include Hermann Watjen (1845-1924), a German painter and art professor from Bremen, and Ernst Watjen (1878-1945), a German architect and urban planner who designed several notable buildings in Hamburg and Berlin.

Throughout its history, the Watjen name has maintained a strong presence in various regions of Germany, particularly in the northern states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, and Hamburg. While the name may have evolved in spelling over time, its origins can be traced back to the Middle Ages and the distinctive geographical features of the region.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Watjen

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

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

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

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