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

Wellnitz, 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 Wellnitz surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wellnitz in America

Wellnitz is the 26471st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wellnitz surname appeared 922 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 Wellnitz.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wellnitz 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 Wellnitz

The surname WELLNITZ is of German origin, dating back to the 15th century. It is believed to have originated in the region of Saxony, with the earliest recorded instances of the name appearing in official records and documents from the city of Leipzig.

One of the earliest known bearers of the WELLNITZ surname was Hans WELLNITZ, a merchant and trader who lived in Leipzig in the late 1400s. His name appears in several municipal records from that period, indicating that the family was well-established in the city at that time.

The name WELLNITZ is thought to be derived from the Old German word "welle," which means "wave" or "undulation," combined with the suffix "-nitz," which is a common ending for place names in the region. This suggests that the name may have originally been a descriptive term referring to someone who lived near a wavy or undulating body of water, such as a river or stream.

Another early record of the WELLNITZ name can be found in the chronicles of the city of Dresden, where a Johann WELLNITZ is mentioned as a prominent citizen and member of the city council in the mid-16th century. This indicates that the family had spread beyond its original base in Leipzig and was becoming established in other parts of Saxony.

In the 17th century, a notable figure bearing the WELLNITZ surname was Friedrich WELLNITZ, a Lutheran theologian and author who was born in Saxony in 1624. He wrote several influential works on religious topics and served as a pastor in various churches throughout his life.

Moving into the 18th century, the WELLNITZ name appears in records from the city of Berlin, where a family of that name was involved in the brewing industry. One member of this family, Heinrich WELLNITZ, was a successful brewer and businessman who lived from 1730 to 1798.

Another prominent individual with the WELLNITZ surname was Carl WELLNITZ, a German composer and musician who was born in Saxony in 1786. He wrote numerous works for orchestra and chamber ensembles and was highly regarded in his time for his contributions to the development of classical music.

As the centuries passed, the WELLNITZ name continued to be found in various parts of Germany, particularly in the regions of Saxony, Brandenburg, and Prussia. While not a widely widespread surname, it has maintained a presence in the country for over 500 years, reflecting its deep roots in German history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wellnitz

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!