2000
#135,837
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 114
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Woltersdorf
A German place name referring to someone from the village of Woltersdorf.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 133 Americans carry the last name Woltersdorf. That puts it at #145,028 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,577,100 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Woltersdorf 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
133
1 in 2,577,100
Census rank
#145,028
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
116
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 116 bearers of the surname Woltersdorf in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 145028th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Woltersdorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Woltersdorf
The surname Woltersdorf originates from Germany, with its roots tracing back to the medieval period. The name is most likely toponyomic, derived from a place name rather than an occupation or a characteristic. Woltersdorf is composed of two elements: "Wolter," a Germanic personal name related to the name Walter, and "dorf," meaning village or settlement. This suggests that those who bore the surname were originally associated with a "village of Wolter."
The surname first appeared in the regions of Brandenburg and Saxony, where several villages named Woltersdorf exist. One of the earliest references to the name Woltersdorf appears in historical records from the 13th century, such as land deeds and charters, which document transactions and land grants connected to villages named Woltersdorf.
In historical manuscripts, various spellings of the surname can be found, including Wolterstorff and Woltorfdorf, reflecting regional dialects and changes in language over time. The earliest recorded individual bearing the surname was Heinrich von Woltersdorf, a noble who was mentioned in a charter dating back to 1282. This document detailed his involvement in a land grant to a local monastery in Brandenburg.
One notable figure with the surname Woltersdorf was Johann Christoph Woltersdorf, born in 1720, a distinguished German theologian and hymn writer who played a significant role during the Pietist movement. Another influential person was Friedrich Wilhelm Woltersdorf, born in 1793, who served as a Prussian military officer and was honored for his service during the Napoleonic Wars.
The surname also appears in the annals of academia. Kurt Woltersdorf, born in 1856, was a renowned philologist and contributed significantly to the study of Germanic languages. His scholarly work helped preserve medieval German texts, enhancing our understanding of early Germanic culture.
In the 20th century, Hans Woltersdorf, born in 1907, gained notoriety as an aviator during World War II. He was decorated for his bravery and service, and his actions were chronicled in several wartime records. His legacy continues to be studied by military historians who examine the air campaigns of that era.
Another prominent individual is Gisela Woltersdorf, born in 1923, who became well-known for her work in environmental science. Her research on ecosystems and conservation has had a lasting impact on policies and practices in environmental preservation. Her numerous publications remain influential in the field of environmental studies.
In summary, the surname Woltersdorf has a rich history deeply rooted in the regions of Brandenburg and Saxony, with its bearers making notable contributions across various fields over the centuries.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Woltersdorf
Among Census respondents with the surname Woltersdorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Woltersdorf 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 Woltersdorf surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 109
- Hispanic or Latino3.4% · 4
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.7% · 2
- Two or more races0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Woltersdorf
Woltersdorf 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
#152,628
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 107
-7 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,791 places
2020
#145,028
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 116
+9 bearers (+8.4%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 7,600 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #135,837 | 114 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #152,628 | 107 | 0.04 | -7 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 16,791 places |
| 2020 | #145,028 | 116 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.4%) | Up 7,600 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 Woltersdorf 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 | #152,628 | #145,028 | 5.0% |
| Count | 107 | 116 | 8.4% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -3.0% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Woltersdorf bearers went from 107 to 116 (+8.4% change). The surname moved up 7,600 positions in the national ranking, going from #152,628 to #145,028.
FAQ
Woltersdorf surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Woltersdorf?
Name Census estimates that about 133 living Americans carry the surname Woltersdorf. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,577,100 residents.
How common is Woltersdorf?
Woltersdorf ranks #145,028 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 116 people with the surname Woltersdorf. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (133), 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 Woltersdorf.
Has Woltersdorf become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Woltersdorf went from 107 recorded bearers to 116. That is an increase of 9 (+8.4%). In the national ranking it rose from #152,628 to #145,028.
What does the Census say about the background of Woltersdorf?
Among Census respondents with the surname Woltersdorf, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.4%) and Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Woltersdorf in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (109 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Woltersdorf appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Hispanic (3.4%), Asian/Pacific Islander (1.7%). 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 Woltersdorf (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 Woltersdorf mean?
A German place name referring to someone from the village of Woltersdorf. 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 Woltersdorf (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 last name Woltersdorf?
Want to know how many people have the surname Woltersdorf? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.