2000
#8,334
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,654
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.35
Rare Last name
Werth
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone living on an island or raised land near water.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,101 Americans carry the last name Werth. That puts it at #8,805 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.20 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 83,578 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Werth 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
4.1K
1 in 83,578
Census rank
#8,805
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,576 bearers of the surname Werth in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.20 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8805th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Werth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Werth
Among Census respondents with the surname Werth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Werth 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 Werth surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White93.3% · 3,338
- Hispanic or Latino2.8% · 101
- Two or more races2.3% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.7% · 25
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 23
- Black or African American0.2% · 8
Timeline
Historical Census data for Werth
Werth 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
#8,728
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,757
+103 bearers (+2.8%)
Per 100,000 1.27
Rank movement Down 394 places
2020
#8,805
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,576
-181 bearers (-4.8%)
Per 100,000 1.20
Rank movement Down 77 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,334 | 3,654 | 1.35 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #8,728 | 3,757 | 1.27 | +103 bearers (+2.8%) | Down 394 places |
| 2020 | #8,805 | 3,576 | 1.20 | -181 bearers (-4.8%) | Down 77 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 Werth 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 | #8,728 | #8,805 | -0.9% |
| Count | 3,757 | 3,576 | -4.8% |
| Per 100K | 1.27 | 1.20 | -5.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Werth bearers went from 3,757 to 3,576 (-4.8% change). The surname moved down 77 positions in the national ranking, going from #8,728 to #8,805.
FAQ
Werth surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Werth?
Name Census estimates that about 4,101 living Americans carry the surname Werth. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 83,578 residents.
How common is Werth?
Werth ranks #8,805 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.20 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 3,576 people with the surname Werth. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,101), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.2 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.20 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 Werth.
Has Werth become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Werth went from 3,757 recorded bearers to 3,576. That is a decrease of 181 (-4.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #8,728 to #8,805.
What does the Census say about the background of Werth?
Among Census respondents with the surname Werth, the largest self-reported group is White at 93.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (2.8%) and Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Werth in the 2020 Census, accounting for 93.3% (3,338 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Werth appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (93.3%), Hispanic (2.8%), Two or More Races (2.3%). 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 Werth (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 Werth mean?
Derived from a German topographic name referring to someone living on an island or raised land near water. 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 Werth (1.20 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 many people have the surname Werth?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.