2000
#146,011
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 104
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wittrig
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "witten" and "rig".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 135 Americans carry the last name Wittrig. That puts it at #143,511 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,538,921 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wittrig 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
135
1 in 2,538,921
Census rank
#143,511
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
118
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 118 bearers of the surname Wittrig in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 143511th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittrig, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wittrig
The surname Wittrig is of Germanic origin, deriving from regions in Germany. It is speculated that the components of the name could be linked to Old High German or Middle High German linguistic elements. The prefix "Witt" might be associated with "widu," meaning wood or forest, while the suffix "rig" could be related to "ric," meaning mighty or powerful. This combination might have originally denoted someone who was powerful in the woods, possibly a forest guardian or a prominent individual living near a forested area.
The first records of the surname Wittrig appear in medieval German manuscripts dating back to the 13th century. Early variations of the name included Witrich and Witerich, reflecting the phonetic and orthographic inconsistencies of the time. One of the earliest documented instances of the name is found in a 1278 tax register from the town of Worms, where a Heinrich Witerich is mentioned.
Throughout the 14th and 15th centuries, the Wittrig surname began to spread to other parts of Germany, notably appearing in records from Bavaria and Saxony. Historical references often include individuals involved in local governance or trade, indicating that holders of the surname were engaged in substantial and respectable professions. For instance, in 1372, a Hans Wittrig was noted as a civic leader in the Bavarian town of Regensburg.
Hans Wittrig's descendant, Jakob Wittrig, born in 1403, gained prominence as a merchant in Nuremberg. His business dealings with Italian states and other European regions left behind a substantial collection of correspondence that provides valuable insights into medieval trading practices. Jakob Wittrig's influence and affluence cemented the Wittrig family's standing within the mercantile community of his time.
In the 16th century, a notable figure bearing the surname was Wilhelm Wittrig, an artisan and guild member in the city of Leipzig. Born in 1520, Wilhelm was renowned for his expertise in carpentry and woodcraft, a profession that possibly ties back to the name's etymological roots. He contributed significantly to the construction of several key edifices in the region, including the restoration of St. Thomas Church.
Maria Wittrig, born in 1605 in Heidelberg, is another prominent historical figure linked to this surname. She is recognized for her contributions to early botanical studies and herbology in the region. Her extensive collection of plant specimens and detailed notes have been preserved in the archives of the University of Heidelberg, making her one of the early female contributors to the scientific community.
By the 17th century, the Wittrig surname had established a presence in scholarly circles. Johann Wittrig, born in 1629, became a noted translator and writer, known particularly for his translations of classical Greek and Latin texts into German. His work played a crucial role in making ancient literature accessible to the broader German-speaking population.
In conclusion, the surname Wittrig has a rich and varied history rooted in Germanic regions, evolving through different spellings and professional associations over the centuries. From early forest guardians to influential merchants, artisans, botanists, and scholars, the Wittrig name has been borne by notable individuals who have made significant contributions to their respective fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wittrig
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittrig, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%).
The bar chart below shows how Wittrig 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 Wittrig surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White89.8% · 106
- Two or more races5.9% · 7
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.5% · 3
- Hispanic or Latino1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wittrig
Wittrig 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
#139,228
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 120
+16 bearers (+15.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 6,783 places
2020
#143,511
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
-2 bearers (-1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 4,283 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #146,011 | 104 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #139,228 | 120 | 0.04 | +16 bearers (+15.4%) | Up 6,783 places |
| 2020 | #143,511 | 118 | 0.04 | -2 bearers (-1.7%) | Down 4,283 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 Wittrig 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 | #139,228 | #143,511 | -3.1% |
| Count | 120 | 118 | -1.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -1.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wittrig bearers went from 120 to 118 (-1.7% change). The surname moved down 4,283 positions in the national ranking, going from #139,228 to #143,511.
FAQ
Wittrig surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wittrig?
Name Census estimates that about 135 living Americans carry the surname Wittrig. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,538,921 residents.
How common is Wittrig?
Wittrig ranks #143,511 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 118 people with the surname Wittrig. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (135), 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 Wittrig.
Has Wittrig become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wittrig went from 120 recorded bearers to 118. That is a decrease of 2 (-1.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #139,228 to #143,511.
What does the Census say about the background of Wittrig?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittrig, the largest self-reported group is White at 89.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (5.9%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Wittrig in the 2020 Census, accounting for 89.8% (106 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wittrig appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (89.8%), Two or More Races (5.9%), Asian/Pacific Islander (2.5%). 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 Wittrig (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 Wittrig mean?
A locational surname derived from a place name containing the elements "witten" and "rig". 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 Wittrig (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 surname Wittrig?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.