2000
#9,801
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,046
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.13
Rare Last name
Weitz
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "white," referring to a person with very light hair or complexion.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,234 Americans carry the last name Weitz. That puts it at #10,804 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.94 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 105,985 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Weitz 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
3.2K
1 in 105,985
Census rank
#10,804
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,820 bearers of the surname Weitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.94 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10804th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Weitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Weitz
The surname Weitz has its origins in Germany, where it first emerged in the medieval period. It is derived from the German word "weitz," which means "wheat" or "grain." This suggests that the name may have originally referred to someone who worked with wheat or grain, such as a farmer or a miller.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Weitz can be found in the town of Weitzenhausen, located in the region of Hesse, Germany. The town's name itself is derived from the same root as the surname, indicating a long-standing connection between the name and this area.
During the Middle Ages, the surname Weitz appeared in various historical records and documents, including the Bürgermeisterbuch (book of mayors) of the city of Frankfurt am Main, where several individuals with this surname were noted as holding positions of authority.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the name Weitz was Hans Weitz, a German theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation. He was born in Nuremberg in 1492 and died in 1567.
Another prominent individual with the surname Weitz was Johann Weitz, a German painter and engraver who lived in the 17th century. He was born in Nuremberg in 1615 and is known for his intricate etchings and engravings depicting biblical scenes and landscapes.
In the 18th century, Johann Friedrich Weitz, a German philosopher and theologian, made significant contributions to the field of ethics. He was born in Saxony in 1720 and died in 1786.
Moving into the 19th century, Carl Weitz, a German composer and music educator, gained recognition for his work in promoting music education in schools. He was born in Berlin in 1824 and passed away in 1901.
As the name spread throughout Germany and beyond, it also evolved into various spellings and variations, such as Weitz, Weits, Weytz, and Witz. These variations can be found in historical records and documents across different regions of Germany and neighboring countries.
While the surname Weitz has a rich history rooted in Germany, it has since been carried by individuals across the globe, with descendants bearing this name in various parts of the world.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Weitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Weitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Weitz 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 Weitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.6% · 2,611
- Hispanic or Latino3.2% · 89
- Two or more races2.7% · 75
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 21
- Black or African American0.5% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 9
Timeline
Historical Census data for Weitz
Weitz 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
#10,260
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,141
+95 bearers (+3.1%)
Per 100,000 1.06
Rank movement Down 459 places
2020
#10,804
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,820
-321 bearers (-10.2%)
Per 100,000 0.94
Rank movement Down 544 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #9,801 | 3,046 | 1.13 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #10,260 | 3,141 | 1.06 | +95 bearers (+3.1%) | Down 459 places |
| 2020 | #10,804 | 2,820 | 0.94 | -321 bearers (-10.2%) | Down 544 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 Weitz 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 | #10,260 | #10,804 | -5.3% |
| Count | 3,141 | 2,820 | -10.2% |
| Per 100K | 1.06 | 0.94 | -11.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Weitz bearers went from 3,141 to 2,820 (-10.2% change). The surname moved down 544 positions in the national ranking, going from #10,260 to #10,804.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Weitz
FAQ
Weitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Weitz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,234 living Americans carry the surname Weitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 105,985 residents.
How common is Weitz?
Weitz ranks #10,804 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.94 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 2,820 people with the surname Weitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,234), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.94 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.94 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 Weitz.
Has Weitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Weitz went from 3,141 recorded bearers to 2,820. That is a decrease of 321 (-10.2%). In the national ranking it fell from #10,260 to #10,804.
What does the Census say about the background of Weitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Weitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.2%) and Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Weitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.6% (2,611 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Weitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.6%), Hispanic (3.2%), Two or More Races (2.7%). 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 Weitz (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 Weitz mean?
German and Jewish (Ashkenazic) surname meaning "white," referring to a person with very light hair or complexion. 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 Weitz (0.94 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 common is the surname Weitz?
If you just want to know how many people have the surname Weitz, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.