Woltemath last name popularity, history, and meaning

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

Meaning of Woltemath

A surname derived from a German place name containing the elements "wolf" and "matte" (meadow).

Woltemath, 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 Woltemath surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Woltemath in America

Woltemath is the 128249th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Woltemath surname appeared 133 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 0 people would have the surname Woltemath.

We can also compare 2010 data for Woltemath 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.

2010 2000 Change (%)
Rank 128249 109915 15.40%
Count 133 149 -11.35%
Proportion per 100k 0.05 0.06 -18.18%

The history of the last name Woltemath

The surname WOLTEMATH has its origins in Germany, specifically from the regions of Northern Germany and possibly parts of East Germany. Its roots can be traced back to the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century. The name likely originated from a given name or a combination of words used to describe familial lineage or occupation.

The surname WOLTEMATH may derive from the Germanic given names combining elements such as "Wolt," a diminutive of the name Walter, and "Math," originating from Germanic terms such as "maht," meaning power or might. This combination suggests that the name WOLTEMATH could have been used to describe someone of considerable influence or power, possibly a leader or a landholder.

One of the earliest references to a person with the surname WOLTEMATH can be found in regional tax rolls and church records from the 15th century in Northern Germany. These records indicate the presence of a family or individual bearing the name whose social standing was significant enough to be recorded in official documents. For instance, a recorded individual by the name of Johann Woltemath, born around 1470, is mentioned in tax records from the city of Hamburg in 1501.

In the 16th century, another notable individual bearing the surname was Heinrich Woltemath, who was known to have been a merchant in Bremen around 1540. This indicates a possible movement or trade connection between Northern German cities. Heinrich's involvement in commerce signifies the social mobility and establishment of the Woltemath name within urban centers.

Another significant historical figure with the surname was Ludwig Woltemath, born in 1612 in Lüneburg, who served as a councilman. His political role further solidifies the name's association with positions of influence within the community. Ludwig's contributions are documented in the city archives of Lüneburg, where he was noted for his service until his death in 1678.

The surname appears in various spellings throughout historical documents, including Woltematte and Wolthemadt, reflecting regional dialects and transcription errors over centuries. Despite these variations, the name's presence remained concentrated within Northern Germany, showing a strong familial lineage.

In the 19th century, one prominent individual with the surname was Friedrich Woltemath, born in 1825 in Hanover. Friedrich was an influential landowner known for his philanthropic activities and involvement in local agricultural advancements. His legacy includes several written correspondences with contemporaries, reflecting his contributions to agricultural society.

Furthermore, the surname Woltemath had continued presence through the 19th century in both rural and urban locations, with immigrants carrying the surname to other parts of Europe and the United States, thereby spreading the name internationally and allowing it to be found in various regions up to modern times.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Woltemath

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

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 Woltemath was:

Race/Ethnicity Percentage Total Occurrences
Non-Hispanic White Only 95.49% 127
Non-Hispanic Black Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic Asian and Pacific Islander Only (S)% (S)
Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0
Non-Hispanic of Two or More Races 0.00% 0
Hispanic Origin 3.76% 5

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 Woltemath has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

2010 2000 Change (%)
White 95.49% 97.99% -2.58%
Black (S)% 0.00% (S)%
Asian and Pacific Islander (S)% 0.00% (S)%
American Indian and Alaskan Native 0.00% 0.00% 0.00%
Two or More Races 0.00% (S)% (S)%
Hispanic 3.76% (S)% (S)%

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

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

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

Search for a name

Search for a first or last name to learn more about its origin, meaning, and more.

Simple as that.