2000
#112,967
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 144
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wintner
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "friend of victory."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 198 Americans carry the last name Wintner. That puts it at #108,965 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.06 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,731,083 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wintner 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
198
1 in 1,731,083
Census rank
#108,965
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
173
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 173 bearers of the surname Wintner in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.06 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 108965th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wintner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wintner
The surname Wintner likely originates from Central Europe, possibly around the regions of Austria or Germany. Historically, this surname appears to have its roots in the German word "Wein," meaning wine, coupled with "tner," a Middle High German suffix meaning a merchant or trader. This would suggest that the Wintners were originally wine merchants or traders, reflecting an occupation-based origin.
The name Wintner may have first appeared in records and manuscripts during the medieval period. Although no specific references from this time are readily available, similar variations of the surname, such as Weintraub or Winter, can be traced back to the 13th and 14th centuries in regions where wine trade was prominent. It is also conceivable that the surname could have had multiple spellings evolving over centuries as languages and dialects evolved.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the surname is Michael Wintner, a wine merchant documented in the early 16th century in Vienna, Austria. His business dealings are noted in trade records, underlining the occupational link of the surname. Another early figure is Johann Wintner, who was born in 1587 and was a renowned winemaker in the Rhine Valley, Germany, and is documented in regional commercial records of the time.
In terms of place names, Wintner does not directly refer to a specific locality but rather an occupation that could be widely spread in wine-producing regions. Any older spellings of the name would likely have been influenced by local dialects and linguistic shifts, for instance, "Weintner" or "Weintener" in German-speaking areas.
Norbert Wintner, born in 1713, was a noted figure who contributed significantly to wine production techniques in Hungary, demonstrating the geographic spread and influence of families bearing this surname. By the 18th and 19th centuries, members of the Wintner family were involved in various capacities related to viticulture and trade within Central Europe.
Jakob Wintner, born in 1827, migrated to the United States and became a prominent figure in the wine industry in California. His contributions to American viticulture left a lasting impact, and his name is noted in several historical accounts of California's development as a wine-producing region.
Otto Wintner, born in 1855, was a mathematician of Austrian descent, illustrating the diversity of professional paths taken by those bearing the surname over time. Although not directly linked to the wine industry like his predecessors, his contributions to mathematical sciences are well documented.
Helga Wintner, born in the early 20th century, became an influential writer and historian, deepening the scope of professional endeavors associated with the Wintner surname. Her works often explored the cultural history of Central Europe, aligning with her Austrian heritage.
In summary, the Wintner surname has a rich history rooted in the wine trade and reflecting an occupational origin. It has seen geographic spread from Central Europe to other parts of the world, with varied professional achievements by those bearing the name throughout history. The Wintners were originally wine merchants, and their legacy can be traced through historical records, notable individuals, and contributions across diverse fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wintner
Among Census respondents with the surname Wintner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%).
The bar chart below shows how Wintner 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 Wintner surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.9% · 159
- Two or more races4.6% · 8
- Hispanic or Latino2.3% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.2% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wintner
Wintner 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
#110,286
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 160
+16 bearers (+11.1%)
Per 100,000 0.05
Rank movement Up 2,681 places
2020
#108,965
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 173
+13 bearers (+8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.06
Rank movement Up 1,321 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #112,967 | 144 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #110,286 | 160 | 0.05 | +16 bearers (+11.1%) | Up 2,681 places |
| 2020 | #108,965 | 173 | 0.06 | +13 bearers (+8.1%) | Up 1,321 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 Wintner 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 | #110,286 | #108,965 | 1.2% |
| Count | 160 | 173 | 8.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.05 | 0.06 | 15.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wintner bearers went from 160 to 173 (+8.1% change). The surname moved up 1,321 positions in the national ranking, going from #110,286 to #108,965.
FAQ
Wintner surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wintner?
Name Census estimates that about 198 living Americans carry the surname Wintner. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,731,083 residents.
How common is Wintner?
Wintner ranks #108,965 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.06 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 173 people with the surname Wintner. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (198), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.06 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.06 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 Wintner.
Has Wintner become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wintner went from 160 recorded bearers to 173. That is an increase of 13 (+8.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #110,286 to #108,965.
What does the Census say about the background of Wintner?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wintner, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.9%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (4.6%) and Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Wintner in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.9% (159 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wintner appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.9%), Two or More Races (4.6%), Hispanic (2.3%). 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 Wintner (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 Wintner mean?
A surname derived from a Germanic personal name meaning "friend of victory." 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 Wintner (0.06 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 Wintner?
For a quick modern take, check how many people have the surname Wintner on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.