Explore the Family Name Witte

The meaning of Witte

1. German: variant of Witt. 2. Dutch: nickname for someone with white or blonde hair or an unusually pale complexion, from Middle Dutch witte ‘white’. Compare De Witte. 3. English (London): variant of Witt, itself a variant of White. Some characteristic forenames: German Otto, Franz, Kurt, Erwin, Gerhard, Dieter, Egon, Fritz, Gerhart, Lorenz, Eldor, Erhart.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Witte in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname "Witte" saw a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it ranked 3,458th in terms of frequency, with 9,454 people carrying the name, or about 3.5 per 100,000 people. By 2010, its rank had slipped to 3,617th, but there was a small increase in the actual count to 9,816 people, or roughly 3.33 per 100,000 people, representing a 3.83% growth in count but a 4.6% drop in rank.

20002010Change
Rank#3,458#3,617-4.6%
Count9,4549,8163.83%
Proportion per 100k3.53.33-4.86%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Witte

Regarding the ethnic identity associated with the surname "Witte", the Decennial U.S. Census also provides insightful data. In both 2000 and 2010, the majority of those bearing the surname identified as White, although this group saw a slight decrease from 96.33% to 95.60%. The proportion of people identifying as Hispanic and those identifying with two or more races increased, from 1.09% to 1.42% and 1.04% to 1.43% respectively. There was an increase in the Asian/Pacific Islander group (from 0.48% to 0.60%) and American Indian and Alaskan Native group (0.37% to 0.46%). However, the proportion of Black individuals bearing the surname dropped from 0.70% to 0.50% over the decade.

20002010Change
White96.33%95.6%-0.76%
Two or More Races1.04%1.43%37.5%
Hispanic1.09%1.42%30.28%
Asian/Pacific Islander0.48%0.6%25%
Black0.7%0.5%-28.57%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0.37%0.46%24.32%

Witte ancestry composition

23andMe computes an ancestry breakdown for each customer. People may have ancestry from just one population or they may have ancestry from several populations. The most commonly-observed ancestry found in people with the surname Witte is French & German, which comprises 39.8% of all ancestry found in people with the surname. The next two most common ancestries are British & Irish (34.7%) and Eastern European (7.5%). Additional ancestries include Scandinavian, Italian, Spanish & Portuguese, Ashkenazi Jewish, and Greek & Balkan.

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ANCESTRY BREAKDOWNCOMPOSITION
French & German39.8%
British & Irish34.7%
Eastern European7.5%
Other18.0%
Witte

Possible origins of the surname Witte

Your DNA provides clues about where your recent ancestors may have lived. Having many distant relatives in the same location suggests that you may all share common ancestry there. Locations with many distant relatives can also be places where people have migrated recently, such as large cities. If a large number of individuals who share your surname have distant relatives in a specific area, it could indicate a connection between your surname and that location, stemming from either recent ancestral ties or migration.

Based on 23andMe data, people with last name Witte have recent ancestry locations in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and Ireland.

RECENT ANCESTRY LocationPercentage
Greater London, United Kingdom74.80%
Merseyside, United Kingdom74.30%
Greater Manchester, United Kingdom74.30%
West Midlands, United Kingdom74.30%
Glasgow City, United Kingdom73.80%

What Witte haplogroups can tell you

Haplogroups are genetic population groups that share a common ancestor on either your paternal or maternal line. These paternal and maternal haplogroups shed light on your genetic ancestry and help tell the story of your family.

The top paternal haplogroup of people with the surname Witte is R-Z282, which is predominantly found among people with European ancestry. Haplogroup R-Z282 is descended from haplogroup R-M420. Other common haplogroups include R-L1029 and R-L48, which are predominantly found among people with European and European ancestry. Other surnames with similar common haplogroups are: Martens, Clausen, Lind, Goodman, Brandt, Mueller, Graff, Jacobsen, Bowers, Smith.

The most common maternal haplogroups of people with Witte surname are: H1, J1c, H. These most commonly trace back to individuals of European ancestry.

wittePaternal Haplogroup Origins R-M420

Your maternal lineage may be linked to Marie Antoinette

Because it is so dominant in the general European population, haplogroup H also appears quite frequently in the continent's royal houses. Marie Antoinette, an Austrian Hapsburg who married into the French royal family, inherited the haplogroup from her maternal ancestors. So did Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, whose recorded genealogy traces his female line to Bavaria. Scientists also discovered that famed 16th century astronomer Nicolaus Copernicus traced his maternal lineages to haplogroup H.

Maternal Haplo Image

What do people with the surname Witte have in common?

Spoiler alert: it's complicated. People with the same last name are usually no more genetically similar than a randomly sampled group of people from the same population. That said, people with the same surname are more likely to have similar ancestries than randomly sampled individuals. The reason is the tendency of people with similar cultural or geographical backgrounds to preferentially mate with one another. That's why people who share a surname may be more likely to share traits and tendencies in common than people within the general population. Check out the percentages below to see the prevalences of tastes, habits, and traits of people with your surname compared with prevalences among 23andMe users.

Preferences

Witte

Chocolate Ice Cream

Prefers chocolate flavored ice cream over other flavors.

"Witte" Surname 39.1%

23andMe Users 41.3%

Traits

Witte

Misophonia

When sounds made by others, like the sound of chewing or yawning, provoke strong emotional reactions in an individual.

"Witte" Surname 15.4%

23andMe Users 27.9%

Habits

Witte

Sugary Drink

Drinks one or more sugary drinks per day.

"Witte" Surname 16.3%

23andMe Users 21.1%

Wellness

Witte

Migraine

A severe headache characterized by intense pain, sensitivity to light and sound, and often accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

"Witte" Surname 19.7%

23andMe Users 16.4%

Are health conditions linked to the last name Witte?

The short answer is that, if there is an association between surname and health, it's usually more about your ancestry than your name. Individuals with a given surname are no more genetically similar than the general population but often have similar ancestries. The populations of people associated with those shared ancestries often have sets of genetic variations, also known as alleles, in common. Some of those alleles are associated with a greater likelihood of developing certain diseases.

Disease variant frequency by ancestry

Disease allele frequencies in populations associated with the surname Witte are shown below. Important Note: not everyone with a disease allele will develop these health condition

Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Y402H variant

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common cause of irreversible vision loss among older adults. The disease results in damage to the central part of the retina (the macula), impairing vision needed for reading, driving, or even recognizing faces. The 23andMe Health + Ancestry DNA test includes the two most common variants associated with an increased risk of developing the condition: the Y402H variant in the CFH gene and the A69S variant in the ARMS2 gene. Learn more about Age-Related Macular Degeneration

French & German 60.8%

23andMe Users 57.2%