2000
#37,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 553
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.20
Very Rare Last name
Whittenberg
An English locative surname for someone from Whittington or a similar place name.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 761 Americans carry the last name Whittenberg. That puts it at #36,294 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 450,400 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Whittenberg 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
761
1 in 450,400
Census rank
#36,294
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
664
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 664 bearers of the surname Whittenberg in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 36294th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Whittenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Whittenberg
The surname Whittenberg has its origins in Germany, dating back to medieval times. It is derived from the place name Wittenberg, a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, which became historically significant as the birthplace of the Protestant Reformation. The name Wittenberg itself means "white mountain," from the Middle High German words "witten," meaning white, and "berg," meaning mountain. The place name Wittenberg is attested as early as the 12th century, and the surname is believed to have originated as a locative name for individuals who hailed from this area.
Historical records mention the village of Wittenberg several times throughout the Middle Ages, with early manuscripts referencing the settlement within the Holy Roman Empire's jurisdiction. While the town is most famously linked to Martin Luther, who nailed his Ninety-five Theses to the church door in 1517, the surname became prominent in the region long before this historic event. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Whittenberg can be traced back to the 14th century when Hans von Wittenberg was mentioned in documents related to land ownership and local governance.
Another significant historical figure with the surname is Albrecht Whittenberg, born in 1455 and documented as a notable merchant who expanded his business across several German territories during the late 15th and early 16th centuries. This Albrecht Whittenberg's commercial influence contributed to the economic development of his hometown, and his legacy persisted through family ties.
By the 17th century, the Whittenberg name had spread to neighboring regions, including parts of modern-day Austria and the Netherlands. Notable among these migrations was Johann Wilhelm Whittenberg, born in 1623, who served as a diplomat in Vienna and played a pivotal role in negotiating treaties during the Thirty Years' War. His contributions to statecraft are well-documented in the annals of European history.
In the 18th century, the surname appeared in records related to German immigration to the American colonies. Margarethe Whittenberg, born in 1710, was among the early settlers who journeyed to Pennsylvania in search of new opportunities. Her family established roots in what would become one of the prominent German-American communities, contributing to the emerging cultural tapestry of the New World.
Later, in the 19th century, the Whittenberg surname continued to feature in public records, including the life of Friedrich Whittenberg, born in 1801. Friedrich was a scholar and historian who authored several influential works on European history, with his research papers preserved in academic archives across Germany. His intellectual contributions helped to illuminate aspects of early modern European society and governance.
Throughout its history, the Whittenberg surname has been associated with a variety of professions, from diplomacy and commerce to scholarship and settlement. The original linkage to the Wittenberg region in Germany provides a rich historical background that traces the movement and impact of individuals bearing the name across continents and centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Whittenberg
Among Census respondents with the surname Whittenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Whittenberg 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 Whittenberg surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White81.2% · 539
- Black or African American9.9% · 66
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 29
- Two or more races3.0% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.1% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 3
Timeline
Historical Census data for Whittenberg
Whittenberg 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
#57,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 353
-200 bearers (-36.2%)
Per 100,000 0.12
Rank movement Down 19,851 places
2020
#36,294
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 664
+311 bearers (+88.1%)
Per 100,000 0.22
Rank movement Up 21,345 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #37,788 | 553 | 0.20 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #57,639 | 353 | 0.12 | -200 bearers (-36.2%) | Down 19,851 places |
| 2020 | #36,294 | 664 | 0.22 | +311 bearers (+88.1%) | Up 21,345 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 Whittenberg 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 | #57,639 | #36,294 | 37.0% |
| Count | 353 | 664 | 88.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.12 | 0.22 | 85.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Whittenberg bearers went from 353 to 664 (+88.1% change). The surname moved up 21,345 positions in the national ranking, going from #57,639 to #36,294.
FAQ
Whittenberg surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Whittenberg?
Name Census estimates that about 761 living Americans carry the surname Whittenberg. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 450,400 residents.
How common is Whittenberg?
Whittenberg ranks #36,294 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.22 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 664 people with the surname Whittenberg. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (761), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.22 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.22 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Whittenberg.
Has Whittenberg become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Whittenberg went from 353 recorded bearers to 664. That is an increase of 311 (+88.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #57,639 to #36,294.
What does the Census say about the background of Whittenberg?
Among Census respondents with the surname Whittenberg, the largest self-reported group is White at 81.2%. The next largest groups are Black (9.9%) and Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Whittenberg in the 2020 Census, accounting for 81.2% (539 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Whittenberg appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (81.2%), Black (9.9%), Hispanic (4.4%). 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 Whittenberg (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 Whittenberg mean?
An English locative surname for someone from Whittington or a similar place name. 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 Whittenberg (0.22 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 are called Whittenberg?
Want to know how common the surname Whittenberg is? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.