2000
#138,741
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.04
Very Rare Last name
Waelder
A surname derived from the German word for "forest" or "woods".
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 127 Americans carry the last name Waelder. That puts it at #148,665 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.04 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 2,698,853 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Waelder 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
127
1 in 2,698,853
Census rank
#148,665
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.0
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
111
very rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 111 bearers of the surname Waelder in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.04 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 148665th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Waelder, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Waelder
The surname Waelder is believed to have originated in Germany, with its earliest known references dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the German word "Wald," meaning forest or woods, suggesting that the name may have been initially associated with individuals who lived or worked in forested areas.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name can be found in a historical document from the town of Wermelskirchen, located in the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, where a certain Hans Waelder was mentioned in 1568. This document provides valuable insight into the name's origins and early presence in the region.
In the 17th century, the Waelder name appeared in various records across German-speaking territories, including the regions of Bavaria and Saxony. Notable individuals from this period include Johann Waelder, a respected merchant from Nuremberg, who lived from 1621 to 1687.
As the centuries progressed, the Waelder name spread throughout Europe, with some individuals migrating to other countries and regions. In the 18th century, a prominent figure bearing this surname was Friedrich Waelder, a German philosopher and writer who was born in 1736 and died in 1806.
During the 19th century, the name Waelder gained further recognition with the birth of Karl Waelder, a renowned German artist and painter who lived from 1819 to 1895. His works, which often depicted scenes from nature and rural life, earned him widespread acclaim and contributed to the cultural legacy associated with the Waelder name.
Another notable individual from this era was Heinrich Waelder, a German engineer and inventor who was born in 1848 and passed away in 1923. He is credited with several significant contributions to the field of mechanical engineering, particularly in the development of early combustion engines.
While the name Waelder has its roots firmly planted in German soil, it has since spread to other parts of the world through immigration and cultural exchange. Individuals bearing this surname can be found in various countries, each with their own unique stories and histories, contributing to the rich tapestry of this ancient name.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Waelder
Among Census respondents with the surname Waelder, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%).
The bar chart below shows how Waelder 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 Waelder surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White92.8% · 103
- Two or more races3.6% · 4
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 3
- Black or African American0.9% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Waelder
Waelder 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
#158,432
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 102
-9 bearers (-8.1%)
Per 100,000 0.03
Rank movement Down 19,691 places
2020
#148,665
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 111
+9 bearers (+8.8%)
Per 100,000 0.04
Rank movement Up 9,767 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #138,741 | 111 | 0.04 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #158,432 | 102 | 0.03 | -9 bearers (-8.1%) | Down 19,691 places |
| 2020 | #148,665 | 111 | 0.04 | +9 bearers (+8.8%) | Up 9,767 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 Waelder 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 | #158,432 | #148,665 | 6.2% |
| Count | 102 | 111 | 8.8% |
| Per 100K | 0.03 | 0.04 | 23.8% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Waelder bearers went from 102 to 111 (+8.8% change). The surname moved up 9,767 positions in the national ranking, going from #158,432 to #148,665.
FAQ
Waelder surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Waelder?
Name Census estimates that about 127 living Americans carry the surname Waelder. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 2,698,853 residents.
How common is Waelder?
Waelder ranks #148,665 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Very Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.04 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 111 people with the surname Waelder. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (127), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.04 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.04 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 Waelder.
Has Waelder become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Waelder went from 102 recorded bearers to 111. That is an increase of 9 (+8.8%). In the national ranking it rose from #158,432 to #148,665.
What does the Census say about the background of Waelder?
Among Census respondents with the surname Waelder, the largest self-reported group is White at 92.8%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.6%) and Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Waelder in the 2020 Census, accounting for 92.8% (103 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Waelder appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (92.8%), Two or More Races (3.6%), Hispanic (2.7%). 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 Waelder (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 Waelder mean?
A surname derived from the German word for "forest" or "woods". 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 Waelder (0.04 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 many people share the surname Waelder?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.