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

Wolters, 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 Wolters surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wolters in America

Wolters is the 8700th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wolters surname appeared 3,773 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wolters.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wolters 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.

The history of the last name Wolters

The surname Wolters is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the Middle Ages. It is believed to have originated from the Old German word "walt," which means "forest" or "wooded area." This suggests that the name was initially associated with individuals who lived or worked in forested regions.

In its earliest form, the name was likely spelled as "Walther" or "Walters," with variations such as "Wolter" and "Wolters" emerging over time. These spelling variations were common during the Middle Ages due to the lack of standardized spelling conventions and regional dialects.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wolters can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus Saxoniae, a collection of historical documents from Saxony, Germany, dating back to the 11th century. This document mentions a person named "Wolterus" in the year 1072.

During the 13th century, the name Wolters appeared in various medieval records and manuscripts across Germany. For instance, the Annales Rodenses, a chronicle from the Benedictine monastery in Rodenkirchen, mentions a "Wolterus de Aquis" in the year 1256.

In the 14th century, the name Wolters was associated with several notable figures. One such individual was Johannes Wolters, a German theologian and author who lived from 1315 to 1380. Another was Heinrich Wolters, a merchant and landowner from Lübeck, who was mentioned in records from the 1370s.

The 15th century saw the rise of a prominent family bearing the Wolters surname in the city of Cologne. This family produced several influential individuals, including Johann Wolters, a respected lawyer and politician who served as a councilor in Cologne from 1467 to 1492.

As the name spread across Germany and neighboring regions, it also became associated with various place names. For example, the town of Woltersdorf in Brandenburg, Germany, derived its name from the Wolters family who once owned land in the area.

Other notable individuals with the surname Wolters throughout history include:

1. Gerhard Wolters (1594-1677), a German mathematician and astronomer.
2. Johannes Wolters (1700-1773), a German writer and literary critic.
3. Christoph Wolters (1819-1901), a German architect and urban planner.
4. Rudolf Wolters (1869-1952), a German philologist and academic.
5. Juliana Wolters (1859-1925), a Dutch artist and painter.

While the surname Wolters has its roots in Germany, it has since spread across various parts of the world, particularly through migration and cultural exchanges. However, its earliest origins and historical significance remain deeply rooted in the forested regions of medieval Germany.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wolters

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

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 Wolters was:

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

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

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

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