2010
#147,253
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 112
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Witschey
A surname originating from the German word "witschen" meaning to go quickly or move swiftly.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Witschey. That puts it at #151,639 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,786,621 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Witschey 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
123
1 in 2,786,621
Census rank
#151,639
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
107
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 107 bearers of the surname Witschey in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 151639th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Witschey, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Witschey
The surname Witschey is of German origin, specifically from regions that were historically part of the Holy Roman Empire. The name can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century. It is believed to have originated in the area that is now modern-day Germany, particularly in the regions of Saxony and Thuringia. The name likely derives from the German word "Witz," which means "wit" or "joke," possibly referring to a person known for their wit or humor.
Historical records indicate that the earliest appearances of the name Witschey can be found in manuscripts and registers from the 14th century. One of the earliest documented instances of a person bearing this name is Dietrich Witschey, who appeared in a legal document in Saxony in 1384. The spelling of surnames was not standardized at the time, and variations such as Witschi and Witsche were also common.
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the Witschey family name continued to appear in various records, often associated with landownership and local governance. Another notable individual from this period is Ernst Witschey, a merchant who was active in the trade routes between Saxony and other parts of Europe. His business dealings are documented in several trade registers from the early 1500s.
During the 17th century, the Thirty Years' War brought turmoil to the German-speaking areas of Europe, and families like the Witscheys were often displaced. Despite this, records from the late 1600s document a Johann Witschey as a town official in the Thuringian city of Erfurt. His roles in local government and contributions to community projects are well-documented in municipal archives.
By the 18th century, the name had spread to other parts of Europe, and some descendants of the original Witschey families emigrated to the Americas. One such example is Karl Witschey, who emigrated to Pennsylvania in 1754. He and his descendants became involved in various enterprises, including farming and later, industrial ventures.
The 19th century saw the continued spread of the Witschey name, particularly in the United States. A prominent figure from this period is Friedrich Witschey, born in 1820, who became known for his work as an educator and writer in Ohio. His contributions to local educational systems are recorded in several 19th-century educational journals.
Overall, the surname Witschey has a rich history that reflects the movements and contributions of its bearers over several centuries. The name has endured through various historical periods and continues to be recognized in both Europe and America.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Witschey
Among Census respondents with the surname Witschey, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Witschey 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 Witschey surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 107
Timeline
Historical Census data for Witschey
Witschey appears in 2 published Census surname files: 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-5 bearers (-4.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,386 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010 | #147,253 | 112 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -5 bearers (-4.5%) | Down 4,386 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 Witschey 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 | #147,253 | #151,639 | -3.0% |
| Count | 112 | 107 | -4.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Witschey bearers went from 112 to 107 (-4.5% change). The surname moved down 4,386 positions in the national ranking, going from #147,253 to #151,639.
FAQ
Witschey surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Witschey?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Witschey. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Witschey?
Witschey ranks #151,639 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 107 people with the surname Witschey. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (123), 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 Witschey.
Has Witschey become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Witschey went from 112 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 5 (-4.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #147,253 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Witschey?
Among Census respondents with the surname Witschey, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%. 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 Witschey in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Witschey appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (100.0%). 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 Witschey (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 Witschey mean?
A surname originating from the German word "witschen" meaning to go quickly or move swiftly. 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 Witschey (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 many people have the surname Witschey?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.