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

Wortman, 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 Wortman surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wortman in America

Wortman is the 7291st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wortman surname appeared 4,572 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Wortman.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wortman 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 Wortman

The surname Wortman is of German origin, with its roots traced back to the medieval period around the 13th century. It is believed to have originated from a combination of the German words "Wort," meaning "word," and "Mann," meaning "man." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to a person who was skilled in oratory or had a reputation for being a wordsmith.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Wortman can be found in the Duchy of Prussia, where it appeared in various historical documents from the 14th century onwards. The name was particularly prevalent in the regions of Pomerania and East Prussia, which were part of the former Prussian kingdom.

In the 16th century, a prominent figure bearing the name Wortman was Hans Wortman, a Lutheran theologian and reformer who played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation in Prussia. He was born around 1515 and was known for his fierce opposition to the Catholic Church's teachings and practices.

The Wortman name also appeared in several historical records from the Holy Roman Empire, including the Württemberg region. In the 17th century, a notable figure named Johann Wortman was a renowned jurist and legal scholar who served as a judge in the imperial courts of the Holy Roman Empire.

During the 18th century, the name Wortman gained prominence in the Rhineland region of Germany. One notable individual from this period was Friedrich Wortman, a wealthy merchant and landowner who was born in 1735 and played a significant role in the economic development of the region.

As the Wortman family spread across different parts of Germany, various spelling variations emerged, such as Wortmann, Wortmen, and Wortmans. These variations were often influenced by regional dialects and local pronunciation differences.

In the 19th century, a prominent figure named Wilhelm Wortman made significant contributions to the field of linguistics. Born in 1812, he was a renowned philologist and linguist who specialized in the study of Germanic languages and their historical development.

While the Wortman surname has its roots in Germany, it has since spread to other parts of the world due to emigration and migration patterns. Over the centuries, individuals bearing this name have made notable contributions in various fields, including theology, law, commerce, and academia.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wortman

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

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

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

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