2000
#82,019
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 214
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.08
Very Rare Last name
Witthaus
A German surname likely derived from "witt" meaning "white" and "haus" meaning "house."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 282 Americans carry the last name Witthaus. That puts it at #82,600 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.08 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 1,215,441 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Witthaus 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
282
1 in 1,215,441
Census rank
#82,600
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.1
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
246
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 246 bearers of the surname Witthaus in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.08 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 82600th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Witthaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Witthaus
The surname Witthaus originates from Germany and is believed to have its roots in the Middle Ages. The name is most commonly found in the regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. Witthaus is a compound surname, derived from two German words: "witt," an old word meaning "white," and "haus," meaning "house." Thus, the name Witthaus likely referred to someone who lived in or owned a white house or a house made from white materials like limestone or plaster.
The earliest references to the surname Witthaus can be traced back to medieval manuscripts and records. One such early reference is in the Westphalian region, where a Johannes Witthaus was mentioned in a land registry from the 14th century. Johannes Witthaus is considered one of the earliest documented bearers of the surname, indicating that the name was already in use during this time period.
In 1567, the records from the town of Münster in North Rhine-Westphalia include mention of a Heinrich Witthaus, who held a respected position as a town official. The documentation in which he appears gives historians insights into the socio-political structures of the time, as well as the prevalence of the surname in that locality.
Another significant bearer of the name was Friedrich Witthaus, born in 1840 in Hannover. Friedrich Witthaus became a prominent figure in the field of toxicology and forensic medicine. His numerous contributions to science were widely recognized, and he authored several critical texts that have been essential references in the study of poisons and their effects.
In the late 19th century, Karl Witthaus, born in 1864, emerged as a well-known educator and scholar in the discipline of mathematics. His work primarily involved the translation and interpretation of ancient mathematical manuscripts, and he held a professorship at the University of Göttingen until his death in 1932.
Among others, Anna Witthaus, who lived between 1879 and 1956 in Bremen, made a name for herself as an early feminist and social reformer. Her written works and public speeches were influential in the movement for women's rights, making her a notable figure in the history of social change in Germany.
The surname Witthaus reflects a rich historical and cultural heritage, deeply tied to the regions of North Rhine-Westphalia and Lower Saxony. Its bearers have made significant contributions to various fields, enriching the tapestry of German history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Witthaus
Among Census respondents with the surname Witthaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.2%).
The bar chart below shows how Witthaus 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 Witthaus surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.7% · 228
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 12
- Two or more races1.2% · 3
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.8% · 2
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Witthaus
Witthaus 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
#84,463
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 222
+8 bearers (+3.7%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Down 2,444 places
2020
#82,600
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 246
+24 bearers (+10.8%)
Per 100,000 0.08
Rank movement Up 1,863 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #82,019 | 214 | 0.08 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #84,463 | 222 | 0.08 | +8 bearers (+3.7%) | Down 2,444 places |
| 2020 | #82,600 | 246 | 0.08 | +24 bearers (+10.8%) | Up 1,863 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 Witthaus 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 | #84,463 | #82,600 | 2.2% |
| Count | 222 | 246 | 10.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.08 | 0.08 | 2.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Witthaus bearers went from 222 to 246 (+10.8% change). The surname moved up 1,863 positions in the national ranking, going from #84,463 to #82,600.
FAQ
Witthaus surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Witthaus?
Name Census estimates that about 282 living Americans carry the surname Witthaus. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 1,215,441 residents.
How common is Witthaus?
Witthaus ranks #82,600 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.08 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 246 people with the surname Witthaus. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (282), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.08 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.08 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 Witthaus.
Has Witthaus become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Witthaus went from 222 recorded bearers to 246. That is an increase of 24 (+10.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #84,463 to #82,600.
What does the Census say about the background of Witthaus?
Among Census respondents with the surname Witthaus, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.7%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (4.9%) and Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Witthaus in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.7% (228 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Witthaus appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.7%), Hispanic (4.9%), Two or More Races (1.2%). 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 Witthaus (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 Witthaus mean?
A German surname likely derived from "witt" meaning "white" and "haus" meaning "house." 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 Witthaus (0.08 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 Witthaus?
Find out how many Americans have the surname Witthaus on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.