2000
#144,908
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 105
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wittchow
Of German origin, meaning "White Hill" or "White Meadow".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 131 Americans carry the last name Wittchow. That puts it at #146,495 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,616,445 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wittchow 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
131
1 in 2,616,445
Census rank
#146,495
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
114
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 114 bearers of the surname Wittchow in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 146495th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittchow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wittchow
The surname Wittchow has its origins in Germany, specifically in the Pomerania region, which is now divided between modern-day Germany and Poland. The name dates back to the Middle Ages, appearing as early as the 14th century. It is derived from old Germanic words, possibly from "wito" meaning wide and "chow" or "kau," a common suffix in place names signifying a settlement or a place. This suggests that the name might have originally referred to individuals from a wide or expansive settlement.
The surname Wittchow is mentioned in historical documents dating back to the 15th century, with one of the earliest references found in a 1423 land register from Pomerania. This document lists an individual named Henricus Wittchow, who was a landowner in the region. The name also appears in various church records from the 16th and 17th centuries, often in connection with land transactions and tax lists.
One notable historical figure bearing this surname is Johann Wittchow (b. 1656 - d. 1732), a Lutheran pastor who served in the village of Deutsch Krone, in what is today Poland. Johann Wittchow is known for his contributions to the local community and his involvement in the religious landscape of the time.
In the 18th century, another prominent Wittchow was Andreas Wittchow (b. 1702 - d. 1775), a farmer and local council member in the town of Greifswald. Andreas played a significant role in the agricultural development of the region and was well-respected for his leadership and civic duties.
The name saw various spellings over the centuries, including Wytchow and Witzchow, reflecting the phonetic interpretations of the time. A historic reference to a place name is found in a 1592 document mentioning the village of Wittkowo in Pomerania, possibly indicating a family seat or an area significant to the Wittchow lineage.
Famous individuals with the surname in later centuries include Friedrich Wilhelm Wittchow (b. 1832 - d. 1891), an industrialist who helped advance the shipbuilding industry in the port city of Stettin (now Szczecin). His contributions to maritime engineering earned him a lasting legacy in the region.
Another remarkable figure is Otto Wittchow (b. 1878 - d. 1954), an academic known for his research in the field of Slavic languages. Otto's work on translating and preserving Slavic manuscripts provided valuable insights into the linguistic and cultural exchanges between German and Slavic peoples.
Collectively, the Wittchow surname is steeped in a rich history that reflects the cultural and linguistic evolution within the Pomerania region. Through various historical records and notable individuals, the name Wittchow stands as a testament to its enduring legacy in European history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wittchow
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittchow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wittchow 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 Wittchow surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.1% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino3.5% · 4
- Two or more races3.5% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wittchow
Wittchow 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
#157,234
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 103
-2 bearers (-1.9%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 12,326 places
2020
#146,495
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
+11 bearers (+10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 10,739 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #144,908 | 105 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #157,234 | 103 | 0.03 | -2 bearers (-1.9%) | Down 12,326 places |
| 2020 | #146,495 | 114 | 0.04 | +11 bearers (+10.7%) | Up 10,739 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 Wittchow 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 | #157,234 | #146,495 | 6.8% |
| Count | 103 | 114 | 10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 27.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wittchow bearers went from 103 to 114 (+10.7% change). The surname moved up 10,739 positions in the national ranking, going from #157,234 to #146,495.
FAQ
Wittchow surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wittchow?
Name Census estimates that about 131 living Americans carry the surname Wittchow. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,616,445 residents.
How common is Wittchow?
Wittchow ranks #146,495 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 114 people with the surname Wittchow. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (131), 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 Wittchow.
Has Wittchow become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wittchow went from 103 recorded bearers to 114. That is an increase of 11 (+10.7%). In the national ranking it rose from #157,234 to #146,495.
What does the Census say about the background of Wittchow?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittchow, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.1%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.5%) and Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Wittchow in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.1% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wittchow appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.1%), Hispanic (3.5%), Two or More Races (3.5%). 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 Wittchow (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 Wittchow mean?
Of German origin, meaning "White Hill" or "White Meadow". 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 Wittchow (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 last name Wittchow?
Find out how common the surname Wittchow is on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.