2000
#30,292
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 729
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.27
Very Rare Last name
Wintz
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a vineyard or winery.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 876 Americans carry the last name Wintz. That puts it at #32,304 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.26 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 391,272 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wintz 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
876
1 in 391,272
Census rank
#32,304
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.3
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
764
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 764 bearers of the surname Wintz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.26 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 32304th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wintz, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wintz
The surname Wintz traces its origins to Germany, particularly in the regions that are now part of Bavaria and the Rhineland. The earliest known use of the name appears to date back to the late medieval period, around the 13th and 14th centuries. It is likely derived from the German word "Wenzel," itself a diminutive form of the Slavic name Václav, meaning "more glory" or "exalted." In German-speaking areas, Wenzel was a popular given name, and over time, variations such as Wintz began to emerge as family surnames.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Wintz is found in historical documents from Strasbourg, a city in the Alsace region, which during the medieval period was part of the Holy Roman Empire. A manuscript from the year 1374 lists a Johannes Wintz as a citizen of Strasbourg, providing one of the first documented instances of the surname. The spelling of Wintz was relatively consistent, although variations such as Winz or Wints occasionally appeared in different regions.
Further historical references to the name Wintz are found in church and civic records throughout the Rhineland and Bavaria. In the 15th century, records from the town of Mainz include mentions of a merchant named Heinrich Wintz, who was born around 1420 and played a significant role in local trade. Similarly, the archives of Nuremberg list a Wilhelm Wintz, born circa 1485, known for his contributions to the city’s governance and infrastructure development.
Moving into the 17th century, the name Wintz appears in documents from the Thirty Years' War, a period of intense religious and political conflict in Europe. One prominent figure was Hans Wintz, a military officer born in 1604, who served under the command of General Tilly. Hans Wintz's military service is noted in battlefield reports from the early 1630s, detailing his involvement in key battles such as the Battle of Breitenfeld.
In the 18th century, migration and economic changes brought the name Wintz into new areas, particularly in the context of the Franco-Prussian conflicts. A notable individual from this era is Friedrich Wintz, an engineer born in 1762, who worked on several important projects under the Prussian government. His achievements in civil engineering included the construction of bridges and fortifications, with records showing his active role until his death in 1828.
Another key figure is Johann Wintz, a theologian born in 1789 in the Baden region. He was influential in the Protestant Reformation within the German territories and published several religious texts that are still referenced in theological studies today. His work and influence were particularly noted during the early 19th century until his death in 1854.
Throughout history, the surname Wintz has been associated with a variety of professions and regions. The consistent use of the name over several centuries highlights its deep roots in German-speaking areas, with a rich tapestry of individuals contributing to its legacy.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wintz
Among Census respondents with the surname Wintz, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Wintz 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 Wintz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White84.9% · 649
- Black or African American8.0% · 61
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 24
- Two or more races2.9% · 22
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wintz
Wintz 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
#31,360
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 739
+10 bearers (+1.4%)
Per 100,000 0.25
Rank movement Down 1,068 places
2020
#32,304
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 764
+25 bearers (+3.4%)
Per 100,000 0.26
Rank movement Down 944 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #30,292 | 729 | 0.27 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #31,360 | 739 | 0.25 | +10 bearers (+1.4%) | Down 1,068 places |
| 2020 | #32,304 | 764 | 0.26 | +25 bearers (+3.4%) | Down 944 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 Wintz 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 | #31,360 | #32,304 | -3.0% |
| Count | 739 | 764 | 3.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.25 | 0.26 | 2.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wintz bearers went from 739 to 764 (+3.4% change). The surname moved down 944 positions in the national ranking, going from #31,360 to #32,304.
FAQ
Wintz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wintz?
Name Census estimates that about 876 living Americans carry the surname Wintz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 391,272 residents.
How common is Wintz?
Wintz ranks #32,304 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.26 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 764 people with the surname Wintz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (876), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.26 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.26 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 Wintz.
Has Wintz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wintz went from 739 recorded bearers to 764. That is an increase of 25 (+3.4%). In the national ranking it fell from #31,360 to #32,304.
What does the Census say about the background of Wintz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wintz, the largest self-reported group is White at 84.9%. The next largest groups are Black (8.0%) and Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Wintz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 84.9% (649 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wintz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (84.9%), Black (8.0%), Hispanic (3.1%). 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 Wintz (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 Wintz mean?
A topographic surname referring to someone who lived near a vineyard or winery. 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 Wintz (0.26 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 Wintz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.