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

Wittenstein, 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 Wittenstein surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wittenstein in America

Wittenstein is the 125282nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wittenstein surname appeared 137 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Wittenstein.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wittenstein 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 Wittenstein

The surname Wittenstein has its origins in Germany, specifically from the regions that are now part of modern-day Bavaria and Thuringia. Dating back to the medieval period, the name Wittenstein is thought to derive from two Old High German words: "witu," meaning "wood" or "forest," and "stein," meaning "stone" or "rock." Combined, Wittenstein could be interpreted as "wood stone" or "stone of the forest," suggesting a geographical feature or a place name origin.

Early references to the surname can be traced back to land and tax records from the 12th and 13th centuries. A notable mention is found in a manuscript from the year 1234, where a Dietrich von Wittenstein is listed as a landowner in the Thuringian Forest region. This indicates that the Wittenstein family may have held some local prominence or nobility.

The earliest recorded examples of the surname include individuals such as Johann Wittenstein, documented in a Bavarian tax registry from 1321. Records from this period often had varied spellings due to the lack of standardized language; thus, Wittenstein also appeared as "Witenstein" and "Wyttenstein." These variations persisted into the 15th century.

An important figure in the history of the surname is Heinrich Wittenstein, a knight who fought in the Hussite Wars during the early 15th century. Born around 1390 and dying in 1441, Heinrich was a notable military leader and his family's coat of arms can still be seen in historical archives in Nuremberg, indicating the knightly status of the Wittensteins during this period.

Another significant person with this surname is Friedrich von Wittenstein, a scholar and polymath born in 1578 who contributed to the scientific community in early modern Germany. Friedrich’s works in natural history and philosophy were well-regarded, and he maintained correspondence with other renowned scholars of his time, including Johannes Kepler.

During the 18th century, the name appears again in a different context with Maria Elisabeth Wittenstein, born in 1723. She is noted for her work in social reform, particularly within the realm of women's education in her native Weimar. Maria Elisabeth established one of the first schools for girls in the region, which illustrates the family's growing influence beyond military and landholding roles.

In the 19th century, Karl Wittenstein, born in 1821, became a prominent industrialist in Bavaria. He was influential in the development of the steel industry during the early industrial revolution and played a significant role in expanding the rail network in the region. His contributions to industry and transport were documented in various Bavarian economic records of the time.

Despite the passage of centuries, the surname Wittenstein has maintained a link to its geographic and noble roots, with variations in spelling reflecting the evolving nature of language and record-keeping. The name remains an enduring symbol of the family's historical significance in the regions of Bavaria and Thuringia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wittenstein

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

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

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

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