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

Weitzel, 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 Weitzel surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Weitzel in America

Weitzel is the 7295th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Weitzel surname appeared 4,569 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Weitzel.

We can also compare 2010 data for Weitzel 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 Weitzel

The surname Weitzel originated in Germany, likely in the 16th or 17th century. It is believed to have derived from the German word "weitzel," which means "little meadow" or "small pasture." This suggests that the name's earliest bearers may have lived near or owned a small meadow or pastureland.

The Weitzel name has its roots in various regions of Germany, including Bavaria, Saxony, and the Rhineland. It was also present in areas that are now part of modern-day Poland and the Czech Republic, reflecting the historical migrations of German populations in Central Europe.

Historical records mention the Weitzel name as early as the 16th century. One of the earliest known references is found in the church records of Saxony, where a Johann Weitzel was documented in 1568. Another early mention is from the town of Nürnberg in Bavaria, where a Michael Weitzel was recorded in 1592.

In the 17th century, the name appears in various German-language manuscripts and documents, including tax records and property deeds. For example, a Hans Weitzel was listed as a landowner in the village of Oberlössnitz near Dresden in 1632.

Notable individuals with the Weitzel surname throughout history include:

1. Johann Weitzel (1638-1703), a German composer and organist from Saxony.
2. Christian Weitzel (1745-1819), a Prussian military officer who served in the American Revolutionary War.
3. Godfrey Weitzel (1835-1884), a Union Army general during the American Civil War.
4. August Weitzel (1856-1938), a German-American architect known for his works in New Orleans.
5. Rudolf Weitzel (1909-1988), a German physicist and engineer who contributed to the development of radar technology.

The Weitzel name has also been associated with various place names and older spellings of locations in Germany and neighboring regions. For instance, the town of Weizelsdorf in Bavaria was originally known as "Weitzelsdorf" in medieval times, likely derived from the surname itself.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Weitzel

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

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

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

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