2000
#120,330
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 133
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.05
Very Rare Last name
Worten
An anglicization of the German surname "Wörtchen" meaning "little word" or "short text".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 125 Americans carry the last name Worten. That puts it at #150,205 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,742,035 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Worten 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
125
1 in 2,742,035
Census rank
#150,205
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
109
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 109 bearers of the surname Worten in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 150205th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Worten, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Worten
The surname Worten is of English origin, with roots tracing back to medieval England. It is believed to have originated during the Anglo-Saxon period, around the 10th or 11th century. The name is thought to be locational, derived from a place name. The Old English elements "wyrt" meaning plant or herb, and "tun" meaning settlement or enclosure, combine to form Worten, suggesting a meaning along the lines of "settlement where plants grow" or "herb farm."
Worten's early historical references are sparse but notable. One of the earliest mentions appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where variations of the name such as Worton and Wurton can be found, referring to different places in England, particularly in Oxfordshire and Wiltshire. These records indicate that the name was attached to certain lands and localities known for agricultural activity, emphasizing a connection to crops or herbal growth.
The earliest recorded examples of the surname Worten can be traced back to the 13th century. Among the first individuals to bear the surname was John de Worten, registered in Oxfordshire in 1275. This indicates that the name was well established by the medieval period, often linked to individuals residing in or owning wort-harvesting settlements.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the surname Worten. One such individual is Thomas Worten, an English yeoman recorded in Sussex in 1585, illustrating the name's persistence into the Tudor period. Another significant figure is Richard Worten, a landowner listed in Cambridgeshire in the early 17th century, helping to establish the surname's geographical spread across England.
In the 18th century, the name continued to appear in historical records. Joseph Worten, born in 1702, was a prominent merchant operating in London, exemplifying the surname's association with trade and business during this period. In the 19th century, Edward Worten, born in 1823, was a noted agriculturalist in Kent, reinforcing the name's long-standing connection with farming and cultivation.
By examining the extensive historical usage and geographical distribution of the surname Worten, it is evident that it has deep roots in English history, closely tied to agricultural settlements and land cultivation practices. The evolution of the name through time and its mention in significant historical records underscore its lasting presence and influence in English heritage.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Worten
Among Census respondents with the surname Worten, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Worten 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 Worten surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White74.3% · 81
- Black or African American20.2% · 22
- Two or more races3.7% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Worten
Worten 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
#137,327
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 122
-11 bearers (-8.3%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 16,997 places
2020
#150,205
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 109
-13 bearers (-10.7%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Down 12,878 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #120,330 | 133 | 0.05 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #137,327 | 122 | 0.04 | -11 bearers (-8.3%) | Down 16,997 places |
| 2020 | #150,205 | 109 | 0.04 | -13 bearers (-10.7%) | Down 12,878 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 Worten 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 | #137,327 | #150,205 | -9.4% |
| Count | 122 | 109 | -10.7% |
| Per 100K | 0.04 | 0.04 | -8.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Worten bearers went from 122 to 109 (-10.7% change). The surname moved down 12,878 positions in the national ranking, going from #137,327 to #150,205.
FAQ
Worten surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Worten?
Name Census estimates that about 125 living Americans carry the surname Worten. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,742,035 residents.
How common is Worten?
Worten ranks #150,205 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 109 people with the surname Worten. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (125), 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 Worten.
Has Worten become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Worten went from 122 recorded bearers to 109. That is a decrease of 13 (-10.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #137,327 to #150,205.
What does the Census say about the background of Worten?
Among Census respondents with the surname Worten, the largest self-reported group is White at 74.3%. The next largest groups are Black (20.2%) and Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Worten in the 2020 Census, accounting for 74.3% (81 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Worten appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (74.3%), Black (20.2%), Two or More Races (3.7%). 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 Worten (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 Worten mean?
An anglicization of the German surname "Wörtchen" meaning "little word" or "short text". 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 Worten (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 are called Worten?
Want to know how many people have the last name Worten? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.