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

Witten, 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 Witten surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Witten in America

Witten is the 11631st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Witten surname appeared 2,695 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 Witten.

We can also compare 2010 data for Witten 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 Witten

The surname "WITTEN" is believed to have originated in Germany during the Middle Ages. It is thought to be derived from the Old German word "widu," meaning "wood," and was likely an occupational name for someone who lived or worked in a wooded area.

The earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in various medieval documents and records from the region now known as North Rhine-Westphalia in western Germany. For example, a reference to a "Johannes Witten" appears in a 14th-century tax record from the town of Soest.

In the 16th century, the name was also found in the nearby city of Dortmund, where a "Henrich Witten" was listed as a freeman in the city's records from 1557. Around the same time, a "Gerd Witten" was mentioned in a court document from the town of Kamen, dated 1583.

One of the earliest known individuals to bear the name was Johann Witten, a German theologian and philosopher who lived from 1492 to 1542. He was a professor at the University of Wittenberg and was known for his writings on logic and metaphysics.

Another notable historical figure with the surname was Christoph Witten, a German Baroque composer and organist who lived from 1675 to 1725. He was employed at various churches and courts throughout Germany and composed numerous works for organ and voice.

In the 19th century, a prominent bearer of the name was Wilhelm Witten, a German jurist and politician who lived from 1822 to 1899. He served as a member of the Prussian House of Representatives and was involved in drafting legal reforms related to criminal law and civil procedure.

Moving into the 20th century, one of the most well-known individuals with the surname was Nikolaus Witten, a German businessman and philanthropist who lived from 1887 to 1965. He founded a successful construction company and used his wealth to support various charitable causes, particularly in the field of education.

Another notable figure was Theodor Witten, a German engineer and inventor who lived from 1901 to 1976. He held numerous patents for innovations in the fields of textile machinery and plastics production, and his inventions played a significant role in the industrialization of these sectors.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Witten

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

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

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

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