Find out how popular the last name Wacker is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wacker.

Wacker, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wacker surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wacker in America

Wacker is the 7356th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wacker surname appeared 4,530 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Wacker.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wacker to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wacker

The surname WACKER is of German origin, deriving from the Middle High German word "wacker" meaning "watchful" or "vigilant." It is believed to have originated as an occupational name for a watchman or guard.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the WACKER surname can be found in the town of Nuremberg, Germany, in the 14th century. A man named Henne Wacker was mentioned in a document from 1348, indicating that the name was already in use at that time.

In the 15th century, the WACKER surname appeared in various records throughout southern Germany, particularly in the regions of Bavaria and Franconia. For example, a Hans Wacker was documented in the town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber in 1492.

The WACKER surname has also been associated with certain place names in Germany, such as the town of Wackersdorf in Bavaria. It is possible that some individuals with the surname may have taken their name from these locations or vice versa.

One notable individual with the WACKER surname was Johann Wacker, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1550 to 1619. His works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Germany.

Another prominent figure was Georg Wacker, a German theologian and philosopher who was born in 1632 and died in 1683. He was known for his works on theology and ethics, and served as a professor at the University of Jena.

In the 18th century, Johann Georg Wacker, born in 1746 and died in 1819, was a German composer and organist who contributed to the development of church music during that period.

The WACKER surname also gained recognition in the 19th century with Carl Wacker, a German industrialist who founded the Wacker Chemie AG company in 1914, which is still a major player in the chemical industry today.

Lastly, a more recent historical figure was Theodor Wacker, a German politician and lawyer who lived from 1845 to 1925. He served as a member of the Reichstag (the German parliament) and was involved in various legal and political reforms.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wacker

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wacker.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wacker was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wacker has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wacker was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wacker, please contact us.

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