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

Witman, 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 Witman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Witman in America

Witman is the 17764th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Witman surname appeared 1,577 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Witman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Witman 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 Witman

The surname Witman has its origins in central Europe, likely stemming from German-speaking regions. It is believed to have emerged during the Medieval period, roughly around the 12th to 13th centuries. The name is predominantly associated with regions in modern-day Germany and Switzerland. It is derived from Old High German words "wit," meaning "white" or "bright," and "man," meaning "man." Therefore, Witman might have originally been used to describe someone with a bright demeanor or fair complexion.

There are historical records indicating that the surname Witman appeared in various manuscripts and deeds in Germany. For instance, a document from the early 14th century mentions a Heinrich Witman, a farmer in the region of Bavaria. This indicates that the name was already in use by then and was associated with rural occupations. The spelling has remained relatively stable, although variations like Widman and Wittman are also found in historical texts.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the Witman surname is from the Augsburg city records dating back to 1380, which mention an Ulrich Witman as a member of the city council. This suggests that individuals with this name were involved in civic duties and held positions of some prominence.

Several notable individuals with the surname Witman have left their mark on history. Johann Witman, born in 1493 and died in 1564, was a known scholar and cleric in Zurich. He contributed to early Protestant writings during the Reformation. In the military sphere, Friedrich Witman, born in 1638 and died in 1701, was a noted officer in the Bavarian army and fought in the Thirty Years' War.

In the arts, Hans Witman was a well-regarded painter in the 18th century, born in 1722 and died in 1787. His works primarily depicted pastoral scenes and showcased the daily lives of rural Central Europeans. Another significant figure is Karl Witman, an engineer and inventor who was born in 1824 and passed away in 1889. He was instrumental in developing early railway systems in southern Germany.

Finally, Clara Witman, a social reformer born in 1856 and died in 1921, played a vital role in the welfare movement in Munich. She dedicated her life to improving conditions for the urban poor and was a pioneer in establishing worker's rights legislation.

Through its long history, the Witman surname has been borne by individuals who have contributed significantly in various fields, from governance and military service to the arts and social reform. The name's consistency in spelling over the centuries also speaks to its deep-rooted presence in the Germanic cultural and linguistic landscape.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Witman

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

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!