2000
#2,683
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,375
First available Census row
Per 100,000 4.59
Uncommon Last name
Seitz
A German toponymic surname indicating one who lived near or on a small mountain or hill.
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 13,599 Americans carry the last name Seitz. That puts it at #2,966 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 3.97 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 25,204 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Seitz 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
14K
1 in 25,204
Census rank
#2,966
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
4.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
12K
uncommon in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 11,859 bearers of the surname Seitz in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 3.97 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 2966th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Seitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Seitz
The surname Seitz originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 13th century. It is derived from the Old German word "sitz," meaning "dwelling" or "homestead." The name likely referred to someone who lived in a particular location or village.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Seitz is found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of historical documents from the 13th century. The name appears in an entry from 1278, referring to a person named "Henricus de Sitz."
During the Middle Ages, the Seitz family was prominent in various regions of Germany, particularly in the areas around Saxony and Thuringia. Some notable individuals from this time period include Johannes Seitz (c. 1350-1425), a renowned scholar and theologian from Leipzig.
In the 16th century, the name Seitz was sometimes spelled as "Seitz" or "Seytz." One prominent individual from this era was Johann Seitz (1505-1572), a German composer and music theorist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Elector of Saxony.
As the Seitz family spread across Europe, the name took on various regional spellings and variations. In France, for instance, it was sometimes rendered as "Seiz" or "Seytz." One notable figure from this period was the French writer and philosopher, René Seitz (1635-1703), who wrote extensively on metaphysics and ethics.
In the 18th century, the name Seitz became more widespread in various German-speaking regions, including Austria, Switzerland, and parts of modern-day Poland and Russia. One prominent individual from this time was Karl Friedrich Seitz (1762-1835), a German composer and violinist who served as the Kapellmeister at the court of the Duke of Mecklenburg-Schwerin.
Throughout the 19th century, several notable individuals bore the surname Seitz. These include the German painter and printmaker, Christian Seitz (1828-1900), and the Austrian composer and music teacher, Friedrich Seitz (1848-1918).
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Seitz
Among Census respondents with the surname Seitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%).
The bar chart below shows how Seitz 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 Seitz surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.3% · 10,951
- Hispanic or Latino3.1% · 367
- Two or more races3.1% · 363
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.9% · 102
- Black or African American0.4% · 43
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.3% · 33
Timeline
Historical Census data for Seitz
Seitz 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
#2,855
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 12,630
+255 bearers (+2.1%)
Per 100,000 4.28
Rank movement Down 172 places
2020
#2,966
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 11,859
-771 bearers (-6.1%)
Per 100,000 3.97
Rank movement Down 111 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #2,683 | 12,375 | 4.59 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #2,855 | 12,630 | 4.28 | +255 bearers (+2.1%) | Down 172 places |
| 2020 | #2,966 | 11,859 | 3.97 | -771 bearers (-6.1%) | Down 111 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 Seitz 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 | #2,855 | #2,966 | -3.9% |
| Count | 12,630 | 11,859 | -6.1% |
| Per 100K | 4.28 | 3.97 | -7.3% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Seitz bearers went from 12,630 to 11,859 (-6.1% change). The surname moved down 111 positions in the national ranking, going from #2,855 to #2,966.
Notable bearers
Famous people with the surname Seitz
FAQ
Seitz surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Seitz?
Name Census estimates that about 13,599 living Americans carry the surname Seitz. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 25,204 residents.
How common is Seitz?
Seitz ranks #2,966 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Uncommon." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 3.97 per 100,000 residents, which is about 4 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 11,859 people with the surname Seitz. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (13,599), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 3.97 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 3.97 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 4 of them to have the surname Seitz.
Has Seitz become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Seitz went from 12,630 recorded bearers to 11,859. That is a decrease of 771 (-6.1%). In the national ranking it fell from #2,855 to #2,966.
What does the Census say about the background of Seitz?
Among Census respondents with the surname Seitz, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.3%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (3.1%) and Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Seitz in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.3% (10,951 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Seitz appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.3%), Hispanic (3.1%), Two or More Races (3.1%). 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 Seitz (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 Seitz mean?
A German toponymic surname indicating one who lived near or on a small mountain or hill. 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 Seitz (3.97 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 common is the surname Seitz?
You can see how many people have the last name Seitz on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.