2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wittmus
A German surname derived from a compound of "wit" (white) and "mus" (mouse), possibly referring to a person with light hair.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 123 Americans carry the last name Wittmus. 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 Wittmus 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 Wittmus 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 Wittmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wittmus
The surname Wittmus has its origins in Germany, specifically in the northern regions such as East Prussia and Pomerania. The name is believed to have emerged in the medieval period, around the 14th to 15th centuries. It is derived from the Old High German words "witu," meaning wood or forest, and "mus," a diminutive suffix, possibly indicating a small or minor woodland dweller.
The Wittmus surname appears in various forms over time due to regional dialects and spelling variations. Historical documents from the Hanseatic League, which flourished from the 13th to the 17th century, include references to similar surnames, although direct mentions of Wittmus are sparse. One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname was in the mid-1400s in the records of Danzig (modern-day Gdańsk, Poland), which was part of the Hanseatic League during that period.
Johannes Wittmus, born in 1460, is one of the first notable figures with this surname. He was a tradesman in the bustling port city of Danzig. Historical references to his business dealings with merchants from Lübeck and Hamburg illustrate the mobility and economic activity associated with the Wittmus surname during the late 15th century.
In the 16th century, another prominent figure named Heinrich Wittmus (1522–1598) emerged. He was a scholar and author known for his theological writings during the Protestant Reformation. His works were influential in spreading Lutheran ideas throughout the Baltic regions. Manuscripts housed in the University Library of Rostock contain several of his treatises, highlighting his contributions to religious thought.
Moving into the 18th century, Friedrich Wittmus (1735–1801) was a notable landowner in the Pomerania region. Land records from the era document his extensive agricultural holdings and contributions to local agrarian reforms. His involvement in the community and efforts to modernize farming techniques were well-regarded among his contemporaries.
The name Wittmus also appears in the 19th century with Karl Wittmus (1820–1887), a prominent figure in the development of the railroads across Prussia. His engineering expertise contributed significantly to the industrialization of the region. Detailed records of his initiatives and innovations are maintained in the archives of the Prussian State Railways.
Lastly, Anna Wittmus (1854–1922) was a renowned painter from Königsberg, East Prussia. Her works, characterized by their naturalistic and detailed landscapes, were exhibited in several major art galleries across Germany. Her legacy is preserved through paintings displayed in museums such as the Berlin National Gallery, showcasing the artistic heritage connected to the Wittmus name.
Throughout history, the surname Wittmus has been associated with various notable individuals who made significant contributions to their fields. From merchants and scholars to landowners and artists, the Wittmus surname reflects a rich and diverse heritage rooted in the historical developments of northern Germany and surrounding regions.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wittmus
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittmus, the largest self-reported group is White at 100.0%.
The bar chart below shows how Wittmus 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 Wittmus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White100.0% · 107
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wittmus
Wittmus 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
#142,108
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 117
+6 bearers (+5.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 3,367 places
2020
#151,639
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-10 bearers (-8.5%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 9,531 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #142,108 | 117 | 0.04 | +6 bearers (+5.4%) | Down 3,367 places |
| 2020 | #151,639 | 107 | 0.04 | -10 bearers (-8.5%) | Down 9,531 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 Wittmus 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 | #142,108 | #151,639 | -6.7% |
| Count | 117 | 107 | -8.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -10.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wittmus bearers went from 117 to 107 (-8.5% change). The surname moved down 9,531 positions in the national ranking, going from #142,108 to #151,639.
FAQ
Wittmus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wittmus?
Name Census estimates that about 123 living Americans carry the surname Wittmus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,786,621 residents.
How common is Wittmus?
Wittmus 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 Wittmus. 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 Wittmus.
Has Wittmus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wittmus went from 117 recorded bearers to 107. That is a decrease of 10 (-8.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #142,108 to #151,639.
What does the Census say about the background of Wittmus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittmus, 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 Wittmus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 100.0% (107 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wittmus 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 Wittmus (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 Wittmus mean?
A German surname derived from a compound of "wit" (white) and "mus" (mouse), possibly referring to a person with light hair. 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 Wittmus (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 common is the surname Wittmus?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the last name Wittmus at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.