2000
#11,523
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,504
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.93
Rare Last name
Wurtz
A German occupational surname referring to a sausage maker, from the Middle High German "wurz" meaning spice or herb.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 2,996 Americans carry the last name Wurtz. That puts it at #11,519 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 114,404 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Wurtz 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
3.0K
1 in 114,404
Census rank
#11,519
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.9
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
2.6K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 2,613 bearers of the surname Wurtz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 11519th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Wurtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Wurtz
The surname Wurtz originated in Germany and dates back to the 12th century. It is derived from the Old German word "wurz," which means "root" or "plant." This suggests that the name may have been associated with those who worked with plants or roots, such as herbalists or gardeners.
The earliest known recording of the name Wurtz appears in the Liber Census Daniae, a census-like record from Denmark, dating back to 1280. The name was also found in various German town records from the 14th and 15th centuries, with spellings like Wurtz, Wurz, and Wurtze.
One of the earliest documented individuals with the surname Wurtz was Hans Wurtz, a merchant from Nuremberg, Germany, who lived in the late 15th century. Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Wurtz, a German theologian and mathematician born in 1592, who made significant contributions to the study of mathematics and astronomy.
In the 16th century, the name Wurtz was also associated with the town of Wurzburg in Bavaria, Germany. Some historians suggest that the surname may have originated as a place name, referring to those who hailed from this town or the surrounding areas.
One of the most famous individuals with the surname Wurtz was Felix Wurtz, a French chemist born in 1800. He is renowned for his research on organic chemistry and the discovery of several important chemical compounds, including ethylamine and neurine.
Another notable figure was Christian Wurtz, a German-born American artist, born in 1837. He is best known for his landscape paintings depicting scenes from the American West.
The surname Wurtz also appears in historical records from other European countries, such as France and the Netherlands, where it was likely introduced by German settlers or traders. For example, Adolphe Wurtz, a French chemist born in 1817, made significant contributions to the understanding of organic chemistry and molecular structure.
Throughout history, the surname Wurtz has been carried by individuals from various professions, including scientists, artists, merchants, and theologians. While its origins can be traced back to Germany and the meaning of the word "wurz," the name has spread across Europe and beyond, with individuals bearing this surname making their mark in various fields.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Wurtz
Among Census respondents with the surname Wurtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%).
The bar chart below shows how Wurtz 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 Wurtz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.2% · 2,462
- Hispanic or Latino3.3% · 87
- Two or more races1.6% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.5% · 13
- Black or African American0.2% · 6
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 2
Timeline
Historical Census data for Wurtz
Wurtz 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
#13,029
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,357
-147 bearers (-5.9%)
Per 100,000 0.80
Rank movement Down 1,506 places
2020
#11,519
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 2,613
+256 bearers (+10.9%)
Per 100,000 0.87
Rank movement Up 1,510 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #11,523 | 2,504 | 0.93 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #13,029 | 2,357 | 0.80 | -147 bearers (-5.9%) | Down 1,506 places |
| 2020 | #11,519 | 2,613 | 0.87 | +256 bearers (+10.9%) | Up 1,510 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 Wurtz 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 | #13,029 | #11,519 | 11.6% |
| Count | 2,357 | 2,613 | 10.9% |
| Per 100K | 0.80 | 0.87 | 9.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Wurtz bearers went from 2,357 to 2,613 (+10.9% change). The surname moved up 1,510 positions in the national ranking, going from #13,029 to #11,519.
FAQ
Wurtz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Wurtz?
Name Census estimates that about 2,996 living Americans carry the surname Wurtz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 114,404 residents.
How common is Wurtz?
Wurtz ranks #11,519 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.87 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 2,613 people with the surname Wurtz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (2,996), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.87 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.87 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Wurtz.
Has Wurtz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Wurtz went from 2,357 recorded bearers to 2,613. That is an increase of 256 (+10.9%). In the national ranking it rose from #13,029 to #11,519.
What does the Census say about the background of Wurtz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Wurtz, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.2%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.3%) and Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Wurtz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.2% (2,462 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Wurtz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.2%), Hispanic (3.3%), Two or More Races (1.6%). 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 Wurtz (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 Wurtz mean?
A German occupational surname referring to a sausage maker, from the Middle High German "wurz" meaning spice or herb. 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 Wurtz (0.87 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 surname Wurtz?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.