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

Werth, 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 Werth surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Werth in America

Werth is the 8728th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Werth surname appeared 3,757 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Werth.

We can also compare 2010 data for Werth 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 Werth

The surname Werth originated in Germany during the medieval period. It is derived from the German word "wert," meaning "worth" or "value." The name likely referred to someone who was considered valuable or worthy in some way.

The earliest recorded instances of the Werth surname can be traced back to the 13th century in the region of Bavaria, Germany. It was often spelled as "Wert" or "Wirth" in these early records.

One of the earliest known individuals with this surname was Hans Wirth, a merchant who lived in the city of Nuremberg in the late 15th century. Another notable figure was Johannes Werth, a German military commander who fought in the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) and became known for his bravery and tactical skills.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Werth surname began to spread beyond Bavaria to other parts of Germany, as well as to neighboring countries like Austria and Switzerland. Some variations of the spelling included "Wehrth" and "Wert."

During this time period, the name Werth was also associated with certain place names in Germany, such as Wertheim, a town in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is possible that some individuals adopted the surname Werth based on their connection to these places.

One notable individual with the Werth surname was Johann Baptist von Werth (1591-1652), a German military leader who fought in the Thirty Years' War and became a respected commander in the Imperial Army.

Another prominent figure was Johann Georg Werth (1757-1828), a German painter and engraver who was known for his landscape paintings and etchings of rural scenes.

In the 19th century, the Werth surname continued to be found throughout Germany and other parts of Europe. One individual of note was Friedrich August von Werth (1809-1891), a Prussian general who played a significant role in the Austro-Prussian War of 1866.

As the name spread beyond its origins in Germany, it also became more commonly spelled as "Werth" rather than the earlier variations like "Wirt" or "Wehrth."

Throughout its history, the Werth surname has been associated with individuals from various backgrounds, including merchants, military leaders, artists, and others who were considered valuable or worthy in their respective fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Werth

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

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

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

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