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

Winterhalter, 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 Winterhalter surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Winterhalter in America

Winterhalter is the 30222nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Winterhalter surname appeared 775 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Winterhalter.

We can also compare 2010 data for Winterhalter 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 Winterhalter

The surname Winterhalter originates from Germany, dating back to the medieval period. Rooted in the southwestern region of Germany, particularly in the Black Forest area, the name is a compound of two German words: "Winter," meaning the same in English, and "Halter," derived from the Middle High German word "halten," meaning to hold or keep. The name likely referred to someone who was a caretaker or protector during the harsh winter months.

Early records suggest that the name was associated with individuals who held some responsibility related to winter, possibly as caretakers of livestock or keepers of a winter shelter. Due to the nature of the name, it may have been more common among rural communities where managing resources during winter was critical.

One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Winterhalter appears in local records from the 16th century. A document from 1598 references a Hans Winterhalter in the village of Menzenschwand in the Black Forest region. These older records often vary in spelling due to the lack of standardization in that period.

Throughout history, the surname Winterhalter has been borne by several notable individuals. Among them is Franz Xaver Winterhalter (1805-1873), a prominent artist known for his portraits of European royalty in the 19th century. His brother, Hermann Winterhalter (1808-1891), was also a renowned painter specializing in similar subjects. These artistic brothers contributed significantly to the cultural heritage of their time.

Another notable figure is Alois Winterhalter (1788-1862), known for his work in physics and particularly for his contributions to early thermodynamics in southern Germany. Around the same era, the name appeared in military records, with Captain Johann Winterhalter, who served in the Baden military during the early 19th century.

In the mid-20th century, Hans Winterhalter, born in 1915, became known for his advancements in mechanical engineering, particularly in the automotive industry. His contributions helped elevate the technological capabilities of post-war German manufacturing.

The evolution of the surname Winterhalter traces a path through Germany's social and cultural history, demonstrating its roots in rural and artisanal occupations before becoming associated with notable figures in various professional fields. The spread of the surname beyond Germany in the 19th and 20th centuries can be attributed to migration, with descendants carrying the name to different parts of Europe and the Americas.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Winterhalter

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

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

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

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