Unisex · #4,414 in 2026

Witten

Witten is a city with almost 100,000 inhabitants in the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis (district) in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany.

Current Rank
#4,414
Peak Rank
#1,385 (2018)
Total Babies
1K
5-Yr Trend
-59%
👧 Girl peak #8,969 (57 total)
👦 Boy peak #1,385 (1K total)
👦As Boy Name
2007
First Year
2026
Last Year
2018
Peak Year
#1385
Peak Rank
1K
Total Count
20
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
2015
First Year
2023
Last Year
2021
Peak Year
#8969
Peak Rank
57
Total Count
8
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Witten

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Witten is a city with almost 100,000 inhabitants in the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis (district) in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Origin & history
The Roburit Explosion in 1906 Witten was first mentioned in historic sources in 1214, however the borough Herbede (which was incorporated into the city in 1975) dates back to 851. The city was a mining town from 1578. In the late 19th century Witten was known for the Roburit dynamite. This dynamite was once used by coal mines around the world. In 1906 an explosion occurred, resulting in the deaths of 41 people. [ citation needed ] During World War II , forced laborers of the 3rd SS construction brigade were dispatched in the town by the Nazis in 1943. In 1946, it was included in North Rhine-We

The Story of Witten

As a girl name

Witten first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 2015, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2021: 11 births, good for #8,969 nationwide. About 63% of every Witten on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. Witten last appeared in the published SSA data in 2023, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 57 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2010s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

The earliest SSA record of Witten as a boy name dates back to 2007, when 5 babies received it. 2018 was its biggest year on record, with 127 newborns named Witten — #1,385 in the national rankings. About 62% of every Witten on record arrived during the 2010s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Witten ranks #4,414 for boys with 24 births, falling sharply (-59%). All told, over 1K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2000s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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WI
MI
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VT
NH
MA
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ID
SD
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OH
PA
NJ
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RI
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WY
NE
MO
KY
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VA
MD
DE
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UT
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AR
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Top 10
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500+
No data

Notable people named Witten

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Ingeborg Danz (born 1961), concert singer
  • Theodor Detmers (1902–1976), officer
  • Felix Dornebusch (born 1994), football player
  • Mirko Englich (born 1978), wrestler
  • Dennis Eilhoff (born 1982), football player
  • Robert Graf (1923–1966), actor
  • Martin Geck (1936–2019), musicologist
  • Ralf Kapschack (born 1954), politician (SPD)

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Witten

Phonetically similar names — useful when Witten is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Witten

What does the name Witten mean?
Witten is a city with almost 100,000 inhabitants in the Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis (district) in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Germany.
How popular is Witten in 2026?
In 2026, Witten ranks #4,414 among boys' names in the U.S., with 24 babies given the name that year.
When was Witten most popular?
Witten reached its peak popularity in 2018, ranking #1,385 that year with 127 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Witten most popular?
Witten has historically been most popular in South Dakota, Arkansas, Iowa. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Witten.
Is Witten a unisex name?
Yes — Witten is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 5% of Wittens assigned female and 95% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Witten?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Witten include Josephus, Katsumi, Jackey. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Witten

Witten is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 2007 and has accumulated 1K births in the dataset. Witten's peak popularity came in 2018 when it ranked #1,385. Use the chart and map above to compare Witten's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.