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

Wittmer, 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 Wittmer surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wittmer in America

Wittmer is the 15669th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wittmer surname appeared 1,863 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 Wittmer.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wittmer 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 Wittmer

The surname Wittmer originated in Germany, with its earliest occurrences dating back to the medieval period. This surname is primarily associated with German-speaking regions, particularly in areas that were historically part of the Holy Roman Empire. The name Wittmer is a combination of two Germanic elements: “witt,” meaning white or wise, and “mer,” an older form of “mari,” meaning famous. Hence, Wittmer can be interpreted as “wise-famous” or “white-famous.”

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Wittmer appears in a 14th-century church register from the region of Baden-Württemberg, a historical territory in southwestern Germany. Records from the 13th and 14th centuries often show variations of the name, including Witemer and Wittemar. These variations suggest a phonetic evolution influenced by local dialects and orthographic practices of the time.

Notable historical figures with the surname Wittmer include Hans Wittmer, a renowned 16th-century carpenter from Nuremberg, born in 1523 and known for his intricate woodwork in various Bavarian cathedrals. Another early instance is Heinrich Wittmer, an academic and theologian born in 1590 who contributed significantly to religious discourse in the region of Saxony during the Thirty Years' War.

The name also appears in documentation related to the burgeoning trade guilds in the 17th century. Johann Wittmer, born in 1642, was a prominent guild member in Hamburg and played a crucial role in shaping the city's mercantile policies. He was known for his expansive trade networks that extended into the Dutch Republic and Scandinavia.

During the 18th century, the Wittmer name became associated with artistic endeavors. Maria Sophia Wittmer, born in 1745, was a respected portrait artist whose works depicted the aristocracy of Hesse. Her art style reflected the Rococo movement, and her paintings are still held in high regard within German art history circles.

In the 19th-century context, Ludwig Wittmer, born in 1820, was a distinguished industrialist in the Rhineland region. He played a significant role in Germany’s early industrialization phase, founding a successful manufacturing company that produced agricultural machinery. Ludwig’s contributions were critical in transforming rural agricultural practices in Germany, making them more efficient.

Overall, the surname Wittmer has a rich historical tapestry woven with diverse contributions to German society, ranging from craftsmanship and theology to trade, art, and industry.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wittmer

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

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

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

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