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

Westphal, 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 Westphal surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Westphal in America

Westphal is the 4953rd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Westphal surname appeared 7,101 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 Westphal.

We can also compare 2010 data for Westphal 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 Westphal

The surname Westphal originates from Germany, where it first appeared in the early 13th century. It is derived from the Old German words "west" and "fal," meaning "western plain" or "western field." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a western region or worked on western farmlands.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the Westphal name was in 1283, when a knight named Konrad Westphal was mentioned in a medieval document from the region of Westphalia, a former territory in present-day North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. This region is thought to be the original homeland of the Westphal family.

In the 14th century, the Westphal name appeared in various German chronicles and records, including the Magdeburg Municipal Archives, which documented a Henneke Westphal in 1348. During this period, the name was also spelled as Westphaell, Westfalen, and Westfal.

One notable Westphal from the 16th century was Johann Westphal (1510-1574), a German Protestant theologian and opponent of Martin Luther's Reformation teachings. He was involved in the Eucharistic controversy and authored several works defending the Lutheran doctrine of the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist.

In the 17th century, the Westphal name spread to other parts of Europe, including the Netherlands and Scandinavia. One prominent individual was Joachim Westphal (1603-1659), a German-Dutch cartographer and engraver known for his highly detailed maps of Europe and the Holy Land.

During the 18th century, Johann Caspar Westphal (1695-1768) was a German composer and organist who served as the Kapellmeister (music director) at the court of Schwerin. He composed several operas and instrumental works, contributing to the development of the German Baroque style.

In the 19th century, the Westphal name gained recognition through the work of Carl Friedrich Westphal (1833-1890), a German physician and neurologist. He made significant contributions to the study of neurology, describing various neurological disorders and reflexes, including the Westphal's sign and Westphal's reflex.

Another notable figure was Johanna Westphal (1832-1905), a German educator and women's rights activist. She founded one of the first girls' secondary schools in Berlin and played a crucial role in promoting equal educational opportunities for women in Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Westphal

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

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

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

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