2000
#134,037
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wittrup
A German occupational surname derived from the words "witte" and "rup" meaning "white" and "yarn" respectively, referring to someone involved in bleaching or whitening yarn.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Wittrup. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wittrup 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Wittrup in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wittrup
The surname Wittrup has its origins in Denmark, a country known for its rich Viking history and deep-rooted Norse culture. The name is primarily associated with rural areas and small villages. It is believed to have originated in the medieval period, around the 14th or 15th century, when many Scandinavian surnames began to stabilize in form and usage.
The name Wittrup is derived from a combination of two elements: "Wit" and "trup." The element "Wit" could be an old Scandinavian personal name or a reference to a geographical feature such as white or bright. The suffix "trup," commonly found in Danish place names, pertains to a small settlement or farm. Therefore, the name Wittrup likely refers to a person or family living near a settlement or farm characterized by the element "Wit."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name appears in the parish registers of Denmark from the late 16th century. There are references to a Niels Wittrup, a landowner in the vicinity of Aarhus, around 1580. This suggests that the surname has long-standing connections to certain areas of Denmark, particularly in Jutland.
Historical records also mention Hans Wittrup, a Danish merchant who was active in the trade between Denmark and the Hanseatic League cities in the early 17th century. His activities are well-documented in various trade records, underscoring the influence and presence of the Wittrup family in commercial enterprises.
Another notable figure is Jens Wittrup, born in 1667, who served as a clergyman in Sjælland. His sermons and ecclesiastical contributions are preserved in church archives, reflecting the Wittrup family's involvement in religious and academic circles during that period.
In the 18th century, Peder Wittrup, born in 1734, made a name for himself as a respected educator and author. His writings on Danish folklore and local histories are still referenced by scholars studying the cultural heritage of Denmark. Peder Wittrup's contributions helped cement the Wittrup name in scholarly literature.
Moving into the 19th century, the name appears in records related to the Danish constitutional movement. Morten Wittrup, born in 1802, was a prominent political figure and one of the advocates for the 1849 Danish Constitution. His participation in the political reforms of the time highlights the family's ongoing influence in shaping the country's history.
Throughout its history, the surname Wittrup has been associated with various facets of Danish society, from agriculture and commerce to religion, education, and politics. The evolution of the name is closely tied to the development of Danish communities and their enduring cultural practices. Notable figures bearing the surname have left their mark across different eras, contributing to the rich tapestry of Denmark's historical narrative.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wittrup
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Wittrup 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 Wittrup surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.6% · 105
- Hispanic or Latino4.5% · 5
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wittrup
Wittrup 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
#141,140
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 118
+2 bearers (+1.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,103 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
-7 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 7,525 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,037 | 116 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +2 bearers (+1.7%) | Down 7,103 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 7,525 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 Wittrup 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 | #141,140 | #148,665 | -5.3% |
| Count | 118 | 111 | -5.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -7.2% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wittrup bearers went from 118 to 111 (-5.9% change). The surname moved down 7,525 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #148,665.
FAQ
Wittrup surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wittrup?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Wittrup. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Wittrup?
Wittrup ranks #148,665 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 111 people with the surname Wittrup. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), 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 Wittrup.
Has Wittrup become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wittrup went from 118 recorded bearers to 111. That is a decrease of 7 (-5.9%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Wittrup?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittrup, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.6%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.5%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Wittrup in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.6% (105 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wittrup appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.6%), Hispanic (4.5%), Asian/Pacific Islander (0.9%). 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 Wittrup (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 Wittrup mean?
A German occupational surname derived from the words "witte" and "rup" meaning "white" and "yarn" respectively, referring to someone involved in bleaching or whitening yarn. 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 Wittrup (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 Wittrup?
You can see how many Americans have the surname Wittrup on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.