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

Wattenbarger, 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 Wattenbarger surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wattenbarger in America

Wattenbarger is the 25020th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wattenbarger surname appeared 993 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 Wattenbarger.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wattenbarger 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 Wattenbarger

The surname Wattenbarger is of German origin, tracing its roots back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated in the region of Bavaria, in southern Germany, during the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the Old German words "waten," meaning "to wade," and "berg," meaning "mountain." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who lived near or passed through a mountain stream or river.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wattenbarger can be found in the Bavarian town records of Nürnberg, dating back to the late 15th century. In these records, a family with the surname Wattenbarger is mentioned as residing in the town during that period. It is also possible that the name may have been present in other parts of Germany during this time, as surnames were becoming more prevalent among the general population.

Throughout the centuries, the Wattenbarger name has undergone various spelling variations, such as Wattenbarger, Wattenberger, Wattenburger, and Wattenbärger. These variations often reflect regional dialects or differences in record-keeping practices. Some of the earliest known individuals with this surname include Hans Wattenbarger (c. 1490-1560), a wealthy merchant from Augsburg, and Katharina Wattenbarger (c. 1520-1590), a renowned herbalist and midwife from Regensburg.

In the 17th century, the Wattenbarger name is found in various records throughout southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Swabia. During this period, a notable figure was Johann Wattenbarger (1625-1701), a respected scholar and theologian from Nuremberg, who published several influential works on religious philosophy.

As German emigration to other parts of Europe and the Americas increased in the 18th and 19th centuries, the Wattenbarger name began to spread beyond its original homeland. One of the earliest recorded instances of the name in the United States can be found in the historical records of Pennsylvania, where a family with the surname Wattenbarger settled in the late 1700s. Another notable individual was Wilhelm Wattenbarger (1780-1846), a German-born painter and artist who immigrated to England and became known for his landscapes and portraits.

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, individuals with the surname Wattenbarger can be found in various records and historical accounts, both in Germany and in countries with significant German immigrant populations. Some prominent figures include Karl Wattenbarger (1825-1901), a German-American engineer and inventor who held several patents for industrial machinery, and Anna Wattenbarger (1860-1942), a celebrated opera singer and vocal coach from Munich.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wattenbarger

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

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

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

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