The Witmer surname

In the 2010 U.S. Census, 6,461 people carried this name — #5,386 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 45,700 people counted. That is up 7% from 6,044 in 2000.

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In Switzerland’s population statistics

79 people named Witmer live in Switzerland.

They live in 7 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Solothurn.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they live today

Solothurn 26
Zurich 19
Aargau 10
Bern 10
Basel-Landschaft 6
Basel-Stadt 5
Valais 3

Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss/en/dataset/nachnamen-der-standigen-wohnbevolkerung-nach-kanton3 · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.

In France’s civil register

France’s register of deaths holds 30 people named Witmer.

Those born in France came from 9 départements, most often Loire.

Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.

Where they were born

Loire 8
Meurthe-et-Moselle 7
Paris 5
Manche 3
Finistère 2
Seine-et-Marne 2
Gironde 1
Haute-Marne 1

Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.

In the first U.S. census, 1790

36 families named Witmer, or a close spelling, were counted in 1790.

Each family is counted by its head. About 215 people lived in those households, 6 to a family on average. The table counts it together with 5 other spellings. The table lists white heads of families only, in the twelve states whose 1790 records survive; Virginia’s figures come from state lists of 1782–1785.

Families, by state

Pennsylvania 28
South Carolina 5
Maryland 2
Virginia 1

U.S. Census Bureau, «A Century of Population Growth from the First Census of the United States to the Twelfth, 1790–1900» (Washington, 1909), table 111, p. 269 — public domain · names carried by at least 100 white persons in 1790.

In print

Witmer in American newspapers,
1911–1914.

Newspaper page from The Telegraph-courier carrying the name Witmer
The Telegraph-courier 1911-08-24
Newspaper page from The Salt Lake Tribune carrying the name Witmer
The Salt Lake Tribune 1913-04-19
Newspaper page from The Telegraph-courier carrying the name Witmer
The Telegraph-courier 1914-07-02

Chronicling America, Library of Congress — digitised newspapers in the public domain · 24,547 pages in all carry the name.

In print

Witmer in Australian newspapers,
1900s–1950s.

65 articles name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Witmer. The most, 28, date from the 1950s. Weighed against how much of each state’s press from the same decades has been digitised, it stands out most in New South Wales, at 1.5 times its expected share.

Articles, by state

New South Wales 34
Victoria 11
Western Australia 10
Queensland 5
ACT (Canberra) 1
South Australia 1
Tasmania 1

Trove, National Library of Australia (trove.nla.gov.au) · articles in its digitised newspapers that name a Mr, Mrs or Miss Witmer.

Who carried it

People named Witmer,
with a public archive behind them.

  • Lightner Witmer
    Lightner Witmer 1867–1957 · psychologist
  • Mary Randolph Witmer 1892–1982
  • Helen Leland Witmer 1898– · writer
  • Thelma Witmer 1901–1996 · background artist
  • T. Richard Witmer 1909–1983
  • John Witmer 1951–2004 · singer

Wikidata (CC0) · portraits via Wikimedia Commons, shown cropped, in the public domain or CC0 · 10 lives in all are documented under this name.

In the public record

People named Witmer,
in the records of 7 countries.

Soldiers, farmers, migrants and neighbours who carried the name and left a trace in public archives. Everyone shown here died long ago or was born more than a century ago.

United States326 records

326 records of the Witmer name in the United States
  • U.S. Army enlistment records, World War II 193
  • U.S. veterans' cemetery records, burials to 2001 37
  • Other U.S. records 96
  1. A United States Selective Service registration card, 1942
    Example: U.S. registration card, 1942
    Military record James F. Witmer

    Born 1921 in Texas. Enlisted 1942 at Little Rock, Arkansas; dairy farmer. U.S. Army Air Forces veteran of World War II; died 1997, buried at Red Lick Cemetery, Texarkana, Texas.

    U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain); U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0)
  2. A passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, arriving at New York in 1903
    Example: passenger manifest, 1903
    Passenger record Anna Maria Witmer

    Arrived at New York in 1836 aboard the Europe from Havre, aged 22; servant. From Baden, Germany.

    U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted)
  3. Names engraved on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington, D.C.
    Example: U.S. war memorial
    War record Kenneth Eugene Witmer

    Born 1948; from Millersville, Pennsylvania. U.S. Army, utility/observation helicopter pilot; killed in action 1969 in Binh Dinh, South Vietnam.

    U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain)

Showing 3 of 326 records for Witmer in the United States.

Counts: U.S. National Archives, WWII Army Enlistment Records (public domain) · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Gravesite Locator (CC0) · NYC Department of Records & Information Services, Historical Vital Records (NYC Open Data) · New York State Department of Health, Genealogical Research Death Index · U.S. National Archives, Castle Garden Immigration Center Collection, Ship Passenger Records (unrestricted) · U.S. National Archives, Flexoline Index Data File (public domain) · U.S. National Archives, Defense Casualty Analysis System (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: U.S. Selective Service registration card, 1942 (public domain); Passenger manifest of the S.S. St. Paul, New York, 1903 (public domain); Vietnam Veterans Memorial, photo by U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Michael J. Carden, 2009 (public domain).

Netherlands572 records

572 records of the Witmer name in the Netherlands
  • Dutch civil registers (births, marriages, deaths) 310
  • Dutch population registers 229
  • Dutch church registers before 1811 33
  1. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Hermanus Leonardus Witmer

    Married in 1926 in Hengelo; warehouse clerk. Died 1945 in Hengelo, aged 55; porter.

    Open Archives, Collectie Overijssel locatie Zwolle (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A marriage entry in the civil register of Tilburg, 1911
    Example: marriage register, 1911
    Marriage record Jan Karel Hendrik Witmer

    Married in 1911 in Ede; greengrocer. Died 1960 in Zeist, aged 75.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Het Utrechts Archief (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Wilhelmina Geertruida Witmer

    Born 1874 in Leuth. Died 1876 in Boxmeer.

    Open Archives, Gelders Archief (CC BY 4.0); Open Archives, Brabants Historisch Informatie Centrum (CC BY 4.0)

Showing 3 of 572 records for Witmer in the Netherlands.

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Marriage register, Tilburg, 1911, Regionaal Archief Tilburg (public domain); Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

France13 records

13 records of the Witmer name in France France's national death register, 1970–2001
  1. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Simone Antoinette Witmer

    Born 1935 in Saint-Étienne; died 1997 in Roanne (Loire).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  2. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Elian Witmer

    Born 1946 in Paris; died 1971 in Courbevoie (Hauts-de-Seine).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)
  3. A page of the death register of Nice, 1930
    Example: French death register, 1930
    Death record Jeanne Marie Witmer

    Born 1893 in Saint-Étienne (Loire); died 1989 in Saint-Bonnet-de-Mure (Rhône).

    Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte)

Showing 3 of 13 records for Witmer in France.

Counts: Insee, Fichier des personnes décédées (Licence Ouverte). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Death register of Nice, 1930, Archives départementales des Alpes-Maritimes (public domain).

Canada5 records

5 records of the Witmer name in Canada
  • City of Waterloo (Ontario) cemetery records 2
  • City of Calgary cemetery records 1
  • Other Canadian records 2
  1. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Ralph Witmer

    Buried in 1987 at Parkview Cemetery, Waterloo, Ontario.

    Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence
  2. Fairview Lawn Cemetery in Halifax, Nova Scotia
    Example: Canadian cemetery
    Burial record Floyd Witmer

    Buried in 1926 at Burnsland Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta.

    City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary.
  3. A Canadian First World War grave register card for a soldier who died of wounds in 1917
    Example: Canadian war grave register, 1917
    War record Harry Gladstone Witmer

    Died in service in 1917.

    Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada.

Showing 3 of 5 records for Witmer in Canada.

Counts: Contains information provided by the City of Waterloo under licence · City of Calgary. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – City of Calgary. · Veterans Affairs Canada. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence - Canada. · National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Fairview Lawn Cemetery, Halifax, photo by Edgar El (CC BY 3.0); Canadian First World War circumstances-of-death register (scan by Scottgraham87 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0).

Belgium3 records

3 records of the Witmer name in Belgium Belgian civil registers (births, marriages, deaths)
  1. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Clementina Witmer

    Died 1928 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)
  2. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Ludovica Witmer

    Died 1950 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)
  3. A page of the Berlin civil register, 1880
    Example: civil register, 1880
    Death record Theresia Witmer

    Died 1916 in Gent.

    Open Archives, Archief Gent (CC BY 4.0)

Counts: Open Archives (CC BY 4.0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Civil register, Berlin, 1880, Landesarchiv Berlin (CC0).

Germany3 records

3 records of the Witmer name in Germany
  • German emigration and citizenship files 2
  • Germany's First World War casualty lists, 1914–1919 1
  1. A page of the German First World War casualty lists, 18 April 1918
    Example: German casualty list, 1918
    Casualty list Johannes Witmer

    From Dörnberg, Kreis Wolfshagen. Reported wounded in one of the first Prussian casualty lists of 1914 (Grenadier Regiment No. 6).

    Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0)
  2. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Maria Witmer

    Left Horheim for America in 1853.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)
  3. The first page of an emigration file from Gündlingen, Baden, 1883
    Example: German emigration file, 1883
    Emigration record Thomas Witmer

    Left Schwaningen for Aussersihl, Switzerland in 1885.

    Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek / Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg (CC0)

Counts: Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek (CC0) · Verein für Computergenealogie e.V. (2026). Deutsche Verlustlisten des Ersten Weltkriegs – Datensammlung (Version 1.0), DOI 10.5281/zenodo.18330751 (CC0). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: Deutsche Verlustlisten, Prussian list 1116, 18 April 1918 (scan via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 3.0); Emigration file, Gündlingen, 1883, Landesarchiv Baden-Württemberg, Staatsarchiv Freiburg B 694/1 Nr. 1389 (CC BY 4.0).

United Kingdom1 record

1 record of the Witmer name in the United Kingdom War Office casualty lists, 1917–1919, among the dead
  1. A First World War roll of honour of the staff of C. & E. Morton Ltd
    Example: roll of honour, 1914–1919
    War record G. A. Witmer

    London Regiment. Listed among the dead in the War Office casualty list of 1918.

    National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain)

Counts: National Library of Scotland, War Office Weekly Casualty Lists (public domain). Example pages, not the records of the people shown: C. & E. Morton Ltd roll of honour, 1914–1919, photo by Adrian S Pye via Geograph (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Nearby in the index

Surnames next to Witmer.

When the index is not enough

This page says where Witmer is.
A volume says what happened to it.

Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.

See the Witmer volume
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