2000
#127,186
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 124
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Winterhalder
A surname derived from the old German words "winter" and "halter" (holder or farmer) referring to a winter farmer or one who worked land in the winter months.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 132 Americans carry the last name Winterhalder. That puts it at #145,757 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,596,624 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Winterhalder 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
132
1 in 2,596,624
Census rank
#145,757
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
115
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 115 bearers of the surname Winterhalder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145757th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Winterhalder, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Winterhalder
The surname Winterhalder has its origins in Germany, specifically within the Alemannic-speaking regions, such as Baden-Württemberg, during the High Middle Ages. It is derived from Old High German words that point to geographical or occupational roots. Winter is derived from "wintar," meaning winter, while "hald" suggests a slope or hillside, with the suffix "-er" indicating a person from a particular place. Essentially, Winterhalder could be interpreted as "someone from the wintery hillside" or "dweller on a winter hill."
The name first began appearing in recorded documents in the late medieval period. One of the early references can be found in the 14th-century municipal records of the Black Forest region. This area was primarily rural, and the name likely identified families living in remote, elevated areas that were markedly cold or snowy during winter months. Variations in spelling such as Winterhalter and Winterhault were also noted during these early records, reflecting the lack of standardized spelling.
One of the notable early bearers of the surname was Hans Winterhalder, born in 1490 and recorded in 1535 as a resident in the town council records of Triberg, a town known for its Black Forest location. Another prominent individual was Johann Winterhalder, born in 1560, who became a well-known craftsman in Freiburg. His contributions to local architecture were recorded in guild registries, highlighting the family's integration into skilled trades.
In the 17th century, Andreas Winterhalder (born 1615, died 1694) was a clockmaker renowned in the Black Forest region. His work and innovations in clockmaking were highly regarded and recorded in local chronicles. The family's prominence in craftsmanship continued with Johann Michael Winterhalder (born 1703, died 1771), a painter whose works were significant during the Baroque period and are documented in various art history manuscripts.
Another prominent figure bearing the surname was Anton Winterhalder (born 1763, died 1833), whose skills as a woodcarver made substantial contributions to church sculptures and altarpieces in Southern Germany. His works are referenced in ecclesiastical records and art inventories of numerous churches.
One final notable figure was Franz Xaver Winterhalder (born 1830, died 1880), a renowned watchmaker whose precise and artistic designs in clockmaking earned international acclaim. His contributions are recorded in horological histories and his clocks remain valuable antiques today.
In summary, the surname Winterhalder has deep roots in Germanic regions, especially those associated with cold and mountainous terrain. Its bearers have historically been involved in craftsmanship and the arts, contributing to regional heritage through various skilled trades and artistic endeavors.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Winterhalder
Among Census respondents with the surname Winterhalder, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Winterhalder 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 Winterhalder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.3% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino5.2% · 6
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Winterhalder
Winterhalder 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
#129,047
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 132
+8 bearers (+6.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,861 places
2020
#145,757
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
-17 bearers (-12.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,710 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #127,186 | 124 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #129,047 | 132 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+6.5%) | Down 1,861 places |
| 2020 | #145,757 | 115 | 0.04 | -17 bearers (-12.9%) | Down 16,710 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 Winterhalder 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 | #129,047 | #145,757 | -12.9% |
| Count | 132 | 115 | -12.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Winterhalder bearers went from 132 to 115 (-12.9% change). The surname moved down 16,710 positions in the national ranking, going from #129,047 to #145,757.
FAQ
Winterhalder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Winterhalder?
Name Census estimates that about 132 living Americans carry the surname Winterhalder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,596,624 residents.
How common is Winterhalder?
Winterhalder ranks #145,757 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 115 people with the surname Winterhalder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (132), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Winterhalder.
Has Winterhalder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Winterhalder went from 132 recorded bearers to 115. That is a decrease of 17 (-12.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #129,047 to #145,757.
What does the Census say about the background of Winterhalder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Winterhalder, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (5.2%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Winterhalder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.3% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Winterhalder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.3%), Hispanic (5.2%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Winterhalder (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 Winterhalder mean?
A surname derived from the old German words "winter" and "halter" (holder or farmer) referring to a winter farmer or one who worked land in the winter months. 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 Winterhalder (0.04 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 common is the surname Winterhalder?
For a quick modern take, check how common the surname Winterhalder is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.