2000
#134,929
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 115
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Wittum
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "white homestead" or "white village".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 136 Americans carry the last name Wittum. That puts it at #142,788 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,520,252 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wittum 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
136
1 in 2,520,252
Census rank
#142,788
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
119
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 119 bearers of the surname Wittum in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 142788th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wittum
The surname Wittum originates from Germany and dates back to the medieval period. Specifically, it is associated with the regions of Bavaria and Swabia, which are known for their rich historical and cultural significance. The name Wittum is derived from an old German word "Widum," meaning a piece of land or property. This term was historically used in the context of church-owned land or properties granted to priests or clerics.
In historical records, the surname Wittum appears as early as the 13th century in various forms, such as Widum, Widumhof, and Wittumb, depending on regional dialects and document styles. One early reference is the Codex Manesse, a famous illuminated manuscript, where a noble family by the name of von Widum was mentioned. These families were typically landowners or had notable ties to the church.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wittum dates to approximately 1250, when a Heinrich von Widum served as a cleric in Bavaria. Another notable individual was Johann Wittumb, a notable landholder and local judge in Swabia in the early 15th century. His involvement in legal and land disputes illustrates the prominence of the family during this time.
The surname Wittum also appears in various land registries and tax records from the late medieval period, indicating its association with both land ownership and clerical duties. In a 1485 registry, a Ludwig Wittum is listed as the owner of several hectares of land in the vicinity of Augsburg. This family’s influence extended into urban areas as the Wittum name appears in the city council records of Ulm in 1530, where Georg Wittum served as a council member and merchant.
In more recent centuries, the Wittum family continued to be prominent, though less involved in clerical activities and more in trade and civic duties. For instance, Friedrich Wittum, born in 1789, was a well-known merchant and philanthropist in Munich. His contributions to local education and charity were significant, and he is remembered for his civic engagement until his death in 1857.
Another distinguished individual carrying the Wittum surname was Clara Wittum, born in 1848, who became known for her pioneering work in nursing in the late 19th century. Her efforts to modernize nursing practices in Bavaria were instrumental in the development of the profession in that region, and she remained active in this field until her death in 1921.
By tracing the origin and historical references to the surname Wittum, one can see the evolution of the family’s roles from ecclesiastical associations to significant contributions in various sectors such as trade, law, and healthcare. This history reflects the lasting impact and legacy of the Wittum name throughout centuries in Germany.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wittum
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%).
The bar chart below shows how Wittum 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 Wittum surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.4% · 104
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.4% · 4
- Two or more races2.5% · 3
- Black or African American1.7% · 2
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wittum
Wittum 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
+3 bearers (+2.6%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 6,211 places
2020
#142,788
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 119
+1 bearers (+0.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 1,648 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #134,929 | 115 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #141,140 | 118 | 0.04 | +3 bearers (+2.6%) | Down 6,211 places |
| 2020 | #142,788 | 119 | 0.04 | +1 bearers (+0.8%) | Down 1,648 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 Wittum 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 | #142,788 | -1.2% |
| Count | 118 | 119 | 0.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -0.5% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wittum bearers went from 118 to 119 (+0.8% change). The surname moved down 1,648 positions in the national ranking, going from #141,140 to #142,788.
FAQ
Wittum surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wittum?
Name Census estimates that about 136 living Americans carry the surname Wittum. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,520,252 residents.
How common is Wittum?
Wittum ranks #142,788 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 119 people with the surname Wittum. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (136), 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 Wittum.
Has Wittum become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wittum went from 118 recorded bearers to 119. That is an increase of 1 (+0.8%). In the national ranking it fell from #141,140 to #142,788.
What does the Census say about the background of Wittum?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wittum, the largest self-reported group is White at 87.4%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%). 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 Wittum in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.4% (104 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wittum appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (87.4%), Hispanic (3.4%), American Indian/Alaska Native (3.4%). 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 Wittum (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 Wittum mean?
An English habitational surname derived from a place name meaning "white homestead" or "white village". 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 Wittum (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 Americans have the surname Wittum?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.