2000
#119,644
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 134
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Wirtel
A surname possibly derived from a place name in German or Polish regions.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 139 Americans carry the last name Wirtel. That puts it at #141,309 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,465,859 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wirtel 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
139
1 in 2,465,859
Census rank
#141,309
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
121
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 121 bearers of the surname Wirtel in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 141309th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirtel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wirtel
The surname Wirtel has its roots in Germany, where it is believed to have originated in the Middle Ages. The name is likely derived from the Middle High German word "wirdel," which means "little sprig" or "twig." This term may refer to someone who lived near a prominent tree or shrub or could be a metaphorical reference to someone of slight build or youthfulness.
Early records of the surname Wirtel can be traced back to the 13th century in various regions of Germany. One of the earliest mentions is in a regional manuscript from 1286, which notes a Conrad Wirtel as a landowner in the vicinity of Cologne. By the 14th century, the name appears in tax records and land grants, indicating the growing prominence of the family.
In the late 1400s, Hans Wirtel, born in 1472, was a notable figure in Nuremberg's local government. His involvement in the city's trade and guild activities points to the family's integration into the merchant class. Another significant individual was Margarethe Wirtel, an abbess at a convent in Bavaria during the early 16th century, born in 1505 and passing in 1572. Her leadership and piety were well-documented in church records from that period.
The Wirtel family also bridged across Europe through trade and marriage, leading to variations of the surname in other countries. For instance, the name appears in the records of the French province of Alsace in the 1600s, with Jacques Wirtel, born in 1623, who became a prominent winemaker in the region. His wines were well-regarded and frequently mentioned in trade documents of the time.
In the late 18th century, another notable figure was Johann Friedrich Wirtel, born in 1765, who became a respected academic in Leipzig. His contributions to mathematics and his teaching career were influential, and several of his publications are still referenced in historical studies of the subject.
The surname's evolution through time and geography showcases the diverse roles and notable contributions of individuals bearing the name Wirtel across centuries. The historical footprint from Germany to other parts of Europe reflects a rich tapestry of cultural and social integration.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wirtel
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirtel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Wirtel 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 Wirtel surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White91.7% · 111
- Two or more races5.0% · 6
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wirtel
Wirtel 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
#146,201
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 113
-21 bearers (-15.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 26,557 places
2020
#141,309
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 121
+8 bearers (+7.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 4,892 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #119,644 | 134 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #146,201 | 113 | 0.04 | -21 bearers (-15.7%) | Down 26,557 places |
| 2020 | #141,309 | 121 | 0.04 | +8 bearers (+7.1%) | Up 4,892 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 Wirtel 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 | #146,201 | #141,309 | 3.3% |
| Count | 113 | 121 | 7.1% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | 1.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wirtel bearers went from 113 to 121 (+7.1% change). The surname moved up 4,892 positions in the national ranking, going from #146,201 to #141,309.
FAQ
Wirtel surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wirtel?
Name Census estimates that about 139 living Americans carry the surname Wirtel. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,465,859 residents.
How common is Wirtel?
Wirtel ranks #141,309 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 121 people with the surname Wirtel. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (139), 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 Wirtel.
Has Wirtel become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wirtel went from 113 recorded bearers to 121. That is an increase of 8 (+7.1%). In the national ranking it rose from #146,201 to #141,309.
What does the Census say about the background of Wirtel?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wirtel, the largest self-reported group is White at 91.7%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.0%) and Hispanic (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 Wirtel in the 2020 Census, accounting for 91.7% (111 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wirtel appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (91.7%), Two or More Races (5.0%), Hispanic (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 Wirtel (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 Wirtel mean?
A surname possibly derived from a place name in German or Polish regions. 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 Wirtel (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 Wirtel?
Want to know how many Americans have the surname Wirtel? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.