2000
#11,146
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,611
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.97
Rare Last name
Wiltz
Derived from a German place name, likely referring to someone who lived in or near a place called Wiltz.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 3,195 Americans carry the last name Wiltz. That puts it at #10,923 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.93 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 107,278 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wiltz 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
3.2K
1 in 107,278
Census rank
#10,923
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.8K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,786 bearers of the surname Wiltz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.93 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 10923rd position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiltz, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.9%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wiltz
The surname Wiltz has its origins in Germany, and it is believed to have emerged during the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name is thought to be derived from the German word "wilz," which means "wild" or "untamed." This could suggest that the name was initially given to someone who lived in a remote or wilderness area.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wiltz can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Anhaltinus, a collection of historical documents from the Anhalt region of Germany, dating back to the 12th century. In this collection, there is a reference to a person named "Wilcze," which is believed to be an earlier spelling variation of the surname Wiltz.
Another significant historical reference to the name Wiltz can be found in the Annales Fuldenses, a chronicle of events from the Frankish Empire, compiled by monks at the Fulda monastery in Germany. This chronicle mentions a nobleman named "Wiltzius" who lived during the 9th century.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Wiltz was Johann Wiltz, a German scholar and theologian who lived in the 15th century (c. 1420-1490). He was known for his contributions to the study of canon law and served as a professor at the University of Leipzig.
In the 16th century, there was a notable figure named Hans Wiltz (c. 1510-1580), who was a German military commander and diplomat. He played a crucial role in the events surrounding the Schmalkaldic War, a conflict between the Protestant princes and the Catholic Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Another prominent individual with the surname Wiltz was Friedrich Wiltz (1772-1854), a German-born military officer who served in the Prussian army. He fought in the Napoleonic Wars and was awarded the prestigious Pour le Mérite order for his bravery and leadership on the battlefield.
During the 19th century, the surname Wiltz was also found in the United States. One notable American with this surname was John Wiltz (1828-1902), a politician and lawyer from Louisiana who served as a member of the Louisiana State Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
The surname Wiltz has also been associated with several place names, particularly in Germany and Luxembourg. For instance, the town of Wiltz in northern Luxembourg is believed to have derived its name from the surname, possibly indicating that it was founded or inhabited by individuals bearing this name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wiltz
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiltz, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.9%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) and Hispanic (4.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Wiltz 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 Wiltz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American60.9% · 1,697
- White29.5% · 822
- Hispanic or Latino4.4% · 123
- Two or more races4.2% · 116
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 22
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.2% · 6
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wiltz
Wiltz 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
#11,095
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,861
+250 bearers (+9.6%)
Per 100,000 0.97
Rank movement Up 51 places
2020
#10,923
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,786
-75 bearers (-2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.93
Rank movement Up 172 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,146 | 2,611 | 0.97 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #11,095 | 2,861 | 0.97 | +250 bearers (+9.6%) | Up 51 places |
| 2020 | #10,923 | 2,786 | 0.93 | -75 bearers (-2.6%) | Up 172 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 Wiltz 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 | #11,095 | #10,923 | 1.6% |
| Count | 2,861 | 2,786 | -2.6% |
| Per 100K | 0.97 | 0.93 | -3.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wiltz bearers went from 2,861 to 2,786 (-2.6% change). The surname moved up 172 positions in the national ranking, going from #11,095 to #10,923.
FAQ
Wiltz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wiltz?
Name Census estimates that about 3,195 living Americans carry the surname Wiltz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 107,278 residents.
How common is Wiltz?
Wiltz ranks #10,923 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.93 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 2,786 people with the surname Wiltz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (3,195), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.93 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.93 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 Wiltz.
Has Wiltz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wiltz went from 2,861 recorded bearers to 2,786. That is a decrease of 75 (-2.6%). In the national ranking it rose from #11,095 to #10,923.
What does the Census say about the background of Wiltz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wiltz, the largest self-reported group is Black at 60.9%. The next largest groups are White (29.5%) 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?
Black is the largest self-reported group for the surname Wiltz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 60.9% (1,697 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wiltz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are Black (60.9%), White (29.5%), 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 Wiltz (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 Wiltz mean?
Derived from a German place name, likely referring to someone who lived in or near a place called Wiltz. 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 Wiltz (0.93 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 Wiltz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.